Completing Someone
by bridgie797
Summary: After surviving transition, mating, an angel fight, and near death, Gabriella and Troy have a whole new situation on their hands...college. But what does college mean to a mated Werewolf and Werecat who can't seem to get home to leave them behind?
1. Teaser

**Okay the majority seems to say more either if I want to write it or just more, more, more. So, here we go. I'll start it separately in a few minutes.  
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**Book 2 - Completing Someone - The continuing tales of a Werewolf and a Werecat**

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><p>Completing Someone – The continuing tales of a Werewolf and a Werecat<p>

Troy turned over in his sleep. He stretched an arm out to tuck Gabriella in closer to his body. His unconscious mind didn't register where he was. However, when his arms remained empty, his eyes opened and he looked around him. He was in a strange room and he was cold. His body ached fiercely and his head was pounding. To make matters worse, Troy was sure he was going to vomit. He leaned over the edge of the bed and saw his blue jeans and shoes scattered amongst his shirt and boxer briefs. He quickly looked under the sheet over his body and wondered where he was and why Gabriella wasn't within an arm's reach of him while he was naked. All his mind could produce in this kind of pain were broken thoughts. _What happened? Where am—Gabriella will kill—Oh my God, what did I do?_

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><p>Gabriella was working on her chemistry while she waited for Troy after class. There were a few girls who were giggling and looking over at her when they thought she wasn't looking. She felt her stomach turn. Troy hadn't called last night like he always did. She'd been so worried about him when she'd left for class. Now, in retrospect, maybe she should have been worried about herself.<p>

She saw the girls giggle again. She recognized a few of them from when she would meet Troy at the gym after practice. They were cheerleaders. If she remembered correctly, the curly haired red head was always flirting with Troy and the blonde was the girl who liked to touch him whenever she could, any conversation, any place, any part of his body she could get to.

Gabriella felt her stomach turn. Troy wouldn't cheat on her. What they had was real. What they had was beyond anything any cheerleader could possibly understand. Gabriella turned back to her work. She hated this campus. She found herself once again wishing she could get Troy into Stanford with her. It was one thing to live in separate dorms. It was another thing for a mated pair to live in dorms that were forty minutes apart on separate campuses.


	2. Splinters

Completing Someone – Chapter 1 - Splinters

Troy came running up to Gabriella in the court yard outside the building where he'd just missed class for the first time. When he stopped he was out of breath and looking at Gabriella. She was watching him with sad eyes. That was when he heard the giggles and snicker to his right. He glanced over and saw a few of the cheerleaders huddled together. As he'd gotten dressed he'd noticed who was in the pictures sitting around the dorm room. He cringed as he saw Nicole, the blonde he could never seem to get to leave him alone. He let out a heavy breath. He looked back over to Gabriella, but Gabriella wasn't there anymore.

He looked around and saw her just getting ready to cross the street to the car her mom and stepdad had bought her for graduation—and apologies for the way her mother had been treating her. Troy crossed the street. He caught her door just before it closed. "Baby, you've got to listen to me. Please, Gabriella!"

She swallowed hard. "No…NO!" She got out of the car and stood within inches of him to one side of the street. "How DARE you! I don't know what or who you did," she sniffed the air, "but gauging by the smell on you right now, I'd bet it was that slut who hangs all over you in a tiny, pleated skirt. So, if you want her. Fuck her all you like. But, don't you fucking dare to think that I'll just look the other way you son of a bitch!" She smacked him and got back in the car. She sped away leaving him stunned in the middle of the road. If it had been a main thorough fare and not the side street within the university campus he'd have been in danger, because he simply wasn't moving.

Troy watched her tail lights disappear. His chest was so full of conflicting emotions he didn't know which to follow through into actual thought. She'd never done anything like that. Gabriella had always been on his side. She'd been his girl with him through everything since they'd run from the cafeteria. He had no idea how to navigate this situation.

Starting university had been rough on Troy anyway. For the first time in his life, he was without Chad. He had never realized how much he depended on Chad to make friends. Nearly everyone they'd hung out with had been people Chad had met, or offended, at one point or another. Now, Troy found himself trying to figure out how to navigate new friendships without the talkative half of his persona. Add to that that Gabriella wasn't on campus with him either and Troy felt like his strength had been sapped from him overnight without his consent.

Troy stood staring at the empty road when he heard giggles coming toward him. Three girls, Nikki, Jessica, and Katie passed by him. Nikki was the one "giggling." She looked him over obviously, "By the way, nice birth mark on your ass, Bolton." They laughed and kept walking.

Troy looked at them with confusion written all over his face. He shook his head. He had no idea how he'd ended up in another girl's bed last night. He couldn't even remember what he'd done the night before, at least not after the three beers he'd downed when he'd gotten to the after party for the team. He looked around and tried desperately to fight his way through the cobwebs in his mind. He couldn't call Gabriella and explain unless he knew what happened himself. He'd hurt her…at least, he thought he'd hurt her. He just couldn't remember.

He pulled out his cell phone and called Chad. He needed help getting to the bottom of this. Besides, he needed someone who knew his mate and their secret.

"Yo! T-dog! What's up, man?"

Troy ran a hand through his hair as he began walking back to his dorm. "Dude, I need some serious fucking help."

Chad laughed, "Yeah right, you gotta be the MAN on campus."

Troy shook his head, "Dude you have no idea. I'm so the MAN that I don't fucking know what happened last night."

Chad whistled, "Gabs okay?"

Troy groaned, "She left me, Chad."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then there was the sound of a heavy door closing. Chad's voice was much more sober. "Man, what the hell happened up there?"

Troy sat down on a bench, because if he said this out loud, he really thought that the pain of losing Gabriella might drop him to the ground…again. "I—Fuck!"

Chad waited quietly on the other end of the phone.

Troy pulled the phone away from his face and tried to regain his composure. After a short moment, he lifted the phone back up to his ear. "I think I cheated on her, dude."

Chad let out a low whistle. "Damn, bad news, man." He waited a second before saying, "What do you mean you _think_ you cheated on her?"

Troy had tears falling now. He kept his voice steady though. "I don't know. I can't remember after I had a few beers last night and then I woke up in some chick's bed this morning, alone. My clothes were on the floor and Gabriella wasn't with me. I checked the time on my phone and quickly got dressed and ran to where she was waiting for me. She said I smelled like one of the cheerleaders whose always trying to hang all over me. She smacked me and left me."

"Shit."

"Yeah, man. Tell me about it." Troy covered his eyes with his free hand. "What the hell? My life was perfect right up until the part I can't remember last night. I've got this feeling that something else is up, but I have no evidence to prove to Gabs that I didn't cheat on her. I've got nothing."

Chad nodded, "Yeah, and Gabs has always been the more logical thinker of all of us." He sighed heavily. "What is goin' on up there this weekend? You guys got a game?"

Troy groaned, "Tonight we do, but I'm free the rest of the weekend. What are you thinking?"

Chad laughed, "Guys night. Zeke is supposed to fly in and meet up with me and J. I was thinkin' we might have to redirect his flight."

Troy nodded, "Nice. Think it's still possible?"

If Troy could have seen Chad, he'd have known the look on his best friend's face. "Man, J got his pilot license last month. He can rent a four seater from the university for a weekend. We'll just fly ourselves, dude."

Troy's eyebrows were against his hairline. "You trust J to fly you at altitudes where if he gets distracted you die?"

Chad laughed, "Yeah, dude loves this shit. It's crazy."

Troy chuckled. It was so nice to talk to his best friend and to laugh and joke around about what was going on in Jason's life and Zeke coming out. "Can't wait."

Chad scoffed and in a mocking childlike voice he said, "Awww, is our lonely little alpha missing his favorite wolfy pals?"

Troy laughed, "Whatever, dude. See you tomorrow."

Chad cracked up, "Awesome!"


	3. Heat

Completing Someone – Chapter 2 – Heat

Troy moaned as her lips slipped over his dick. "More, baby." He laid his head back. "Oh, yeah." He felt his orgasm rising. "I miss you so much—"

Troy woke up in his bed on campus. He was alone and now he was also miserable. He felt the tears filling his eyes again. Every day this week he'd dreamt about making love to her. Every day this week he had woken up missing her so intensely he didn't know what to do with himself. When he tried to go to class on Monday, he'd lost it when he walked past the bench where she'd been sitting waiting for him. Where he'd last seen his baby walk away from him when it had turned out he needed her most.

Now he sat in his bed and found himself tearing up over the movie playing on TNT that was something he and his mate had gone to see 6 months ago. He hit the volume button, turning it up so that no one heard him crying.

A few hours later, Troy woke up again. He'd fallen asleep. He looked at his phone, seven missed calls from Gabriella. Troy felt his butterflies start up again. He needed her. He was desperate to be with her. He hadn't had sex in months. In fact, after he'd given up begging Gabriella to come back to him, he'd tried going back to his old ways. He'd tried being with any girl who came on to him at a party. It did nothing to satiate his lust when he could stand to let the girl touch him.

Troy leaned back on his bed again. If he called her, he'd give in and they'd be back together within the hour. His best move was to just shut his phone off, but he didn't trust himself to even do that much. A quick glance at the screen was all he dared to do. He looked at it again. Two text messages loomed in his mind after he looked away. "Please Troy I need…" "OH GOD BABY, PLEASE!"

He felt his chest tighten as he thought the words, because his mind tortured him by thinking them in her voice. He was groaning. He knew she was in heat and his instinct was to be with her. None the less, he wasn't going to be her beck and call boy. If she wanted somebody for booty calls, she'd just have to find some frat guy…That thought tore through him until he found himself in fur.

Troy growled. She couldn't be with another. She was his. HIS. He'd never give his mate up. He started toward the door only to realize, he'd have to go through it to get out. He looked back at his window to judge the distance. Even for a Were 8 stories was just too high to land safely. He whined and whimpered and curled up on his bed. He might be able to get through that solid wood door, but he'd never do it and make it down the stairs and out the building without being caught. So, Troy whined and cried in wolf form for the mate his human mind refused to yield to.

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><p>Gabriella fought with the heavy bag in front of her. She'd already run 8 miles on the treadmill, lifted weights, done pylometrics and yoga. She was desperate and only one male would do. She didn't even like the smell of the other males she'd been around recently. It was like the worst case of PMS she could fathom, except she wasn't bleeding, just constantly wet and horny. She shook her head to herself.<p>

"How do guys do this all the time?" She said to herself as she slammed her wrapped fist into the sand filled bag.

A while later, Gabriella decided it was time for another cold shower. She'd sent him message after message earlier while she was alone in her room. When her roommate had asked what was wrong, she shrugged and said she didn't feel well. Her roommate decided to spend the night with her boyfriend in his dorm, something that was becoming more and more frequent. Gabriella had rolled her eyes and watched her pack a small bag and leave.

Now, Gabriella took what had to be at least the tenth or twelfth cold shower of the week. She had cried for two days and sent emails and texts and voicemail messages. Not one of them had been returned. He hadn't even called her in anger and told her to leave him the hell alone. She'd have given anything to hear his voice.

She stopped in her tracks. "That's it. Oh God. That's it." She hurriedly showered and dressed. She did her hair and makeup and made sure her breasts showed just enough to draw a guy's eye. She put her sexy leather on over the top and ankle length skirt with boots, before leaving for Berkley.

As she pulled onto the campus, she was smiling a little. She was nervous and didn't know how this would go, but she was sure she needed to try. Just being closer to him was helping slightly. She got out of her car and walked up to his dorm building door. But, instead of entering, she turned when she heard a familiar voice call out her name.

"Gabriella? Wow, and here we figured he'd ruined any chance with you!" The girl laughed as she looked over at her two friends. Niki was enough to make Gabriella's body want to shift.

"Niki. How are you these days? Not knocked up yet, I hope."

Niki sneered, "Whatever nerd. Like you Stanford freaks even know how to actually have sex. I'm sure you can draw me an award winning diagram though, huh?" She laughed again.

Gabriella looked over at Jessie, "I didn't realize these two were the girls you were talking about at work the other day. I'd have hated you on principle. Oh well, guess I don't have to wait for you to stab me in the back. See ya." She turned to walk into the building.

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><p>Troy could have sworn he heard her voice. He was up on his floor, pacing back and forth, and back and forth. He whimpered. He needed her desperately. He stopped when he caught a whiff that he was sure was his mate. He shifted back to human form. He grabbed shorts and went to open his door. Then he heard the guy at the end of the hall say, "Well hello, baby. What can we do for you, goddess?"<p>

Troy growled and whipped the door open, only to see a girl with waist length blonde hair disappearing into that guy's room. It wasn't her. He had been sure. He'd heard her and smelled her. She had to be here. In total frustration and fear of completely losing his mind, he put on his running shoes and went out for a very hard, long run.

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><p>Gabriella watched him leave for his run from the stairwell. The girls had shaken her confidence. When she'd taken a look at him, she'd lost her faith. He was too good for her. She was that nerdy school girl again. She might not have to back down if he gave her crap, but she still wasn't good enough to be his mate.<p>

She groaned. She was the one who'd left him in the courtyard. She was the one who'd walked away and not taken any of his calls. She had no right to assume that he'd just take her back now. Sure, she'd found out the truth through the grapevine of their friends, but she still had a hard time believing it. He was Troy Bolton for crying out loud. Surely he could control any situation. He was strong and beautiful and the kind of guy any girl would swoon for even before he'd transformed into a Were and become her mate.

She whimpered at the thought of mating with him that first time. She'd wanted to find a guy who could do rough without being dangerous or too out there for her. Man had he come through. Their mating ritual had been the hottest sex she'd ever had and he'd held her down a bit forcefully for the whole thing. He had claimed her that way she wanted to be claimed. He'd taken what was his and not apologized for it. She had loved it and right now she'd have begged him for the same if she could forgive herself for abandoning him when he was most vulnerable, but she couldn't. And, that meant she wouldn't be able to accept it if he had forgiven her; which she was completely sure from the unanswered messages that he hadn't.

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><p>Troy rounded the building and stopped. That was her car. He turned back around. She was here. He knew she was here. She had to be. He spun to look at the entrance and saw her leaving. He fought within himself. "Go to her," his instincts screamed. "Stay here and she can't hurt you," his heart cried. Before he could decide within himself, she had pulled out and driven away. He felt his heart break again. He felt the cold sweat spring up all over his skin. It was like the first time she'd left. Only this time, his cheek didn't hurt from her physical assault. He turned and ran. He didn't stop. He just ran and ran and ran until his legs were jelly.<p> 


	4. Moving

Completing Someone – Chapter 3 – Moving

Christmas break came and went. He stayed at school for basketball reasons. She had left him a present, but he'd never opened it.

Spring Break came and went. He'd gone with Chad and Jason and Zeke down to Cancun. She'd gone with Sharpay and Taylor and Kelsi to Italy.

Summer break was fast approaching and Gabriella found herself completely involved in the Stanford campus. Somehow she'd been invited to join one of the most elite secret societies. She'd begun research in her field with a PhD who she'd only dreamt about working with as a graduate student much less her freshman year. She had gotten a job at the small bookstore in town. Yes, she worked with Jessie that bitch from Berkley, but she was able to avoid her most of the time. She'd even managed to find a small pack of actual Werecats. She'd begun running with him around the time the invitation to the secret society had come to her doorstep.

She smiled as she strolled through campus. She'd done all of this herself. She had friends. They weren't like her East High friends, but they were good for now. Before East High, she'd never made friends that she planned on hanging with for very long. That was when she bothered to make any friends at all.

Now, Gabriella was preparing for finals and trying not to think about going "home." Lucille had called several times in the last week trying to coordinate her return. She loved Lucille like her own mother, but she was unsure how Troy would take their reunion. Regardless of how much she'd buried her feelings for him, she was still desperate to be with him. And now she realized she had been holding out hope that they could rekindle things during the summer months.

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><p>Troy packed up his bags. His boxes were already down in his truck. He felt his stomach turn as he remembered coming here. He and Gabriella had come to this town together. They'd excitedly unpacked and driven over to Stanford to get her set up. Now, here he was alone and missing a girl who'd left him. He looked at his calendar. "10 months tomorrow." He grabbed the calendar from the now empty peg board.<p>

Miserable, he walked down to his truck and threw the last bag and calendar into it. He'd smiled and joked with the guys as he'd left the building, but now he could just turn on his radio and feel whatever was in him to feel for a day or so as he drove back to his home.

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><p>"You don't get a say in this!"<p>

"I'm still your—"

"You're not my _**any**_thing! _You_ quit! You walked away!" Her tears began to roll down her cheeks. Very softly she said, "I didn't know."

He stood staring at her. He hated when she cried. It physically hurt him to stand there and resist the urge to wrap her in his arms and ease her pain. "Neither did I."

She felt her shoulders slump. "I'm sorry."

Troy turned back to his father. "The fact of the matter is you don't need me here. I have a pack in California. Coach has a job and a room for me. There's no reason for me to stay here all summer." He glanced at Gabriella involuntarily, her eyes shone brightly with pain. Her tears were falling unimpeded.

Jack sighed heavily. This was yet another complication they were going to have to suffer through because of the kids transforming and mating so young. "Troy, your mate—"

"NO! This is my life! It's my decision! We aren't together anymore!"

Gabriella let out a whimper.

Jack looked back and forth between Troy and Gabriella a few times.

Gabriella finally spoke up. "Stay for 3 days. If you still want to leave at that point, then go."

Jack looked at Troy. He was ignoring his mate all together now.

Gabriella's voice came out a bit weaker now, "Please Troy?"

Jack raised his eyebrows as if asking the same question.

Troy shook his head, "Fine. Seventy-two hours and I'm gone."

Jack nodded.

Troy stomped off.

Gabriella collapsed on the couch and cried. She was finally beginning to see that Troy would never forgive her. She'd thought that he longed for her the way she had longed for him. Now that she could see him when they spoke, she could easily see that he wasn't sad. He hated her now. She'd seen it in his eyes.

She cried as she realized that somehow she had inadvertently ended up in the same situation as her father. She and Troy didn't have a kid, but she was pining for a man, a mate, who hated her.

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><p>Troy picked the ball out of the air before it hit the ground. He ached inside again. He'd been home for all of—he checked his watch—12 hours. He stopped, spotted, and shot the ball toward the hoop.<p>

Other than the one week where he'd just _known_ that she was in heat, he'd gotten used to the dull pain that he'd relegated to the back of his mind. Now, one night spent lying on the farthest side of "their" bed and he was dying inside all over again. He shook his head because he knew from experience now that no matter how many girls he had, it wouldn't ease his pain. Only time and distance would let him survive, relatively survive, without her.

Troy groaned. Even the thought of her more than an arm's reach away hurt again. It was going to be a long 72 hours with her and a longer summer without her.

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><p>He opened the door to what was once 'his' room. He looked up and saw her unexpectedly. He had to force himself to look away as she gasped and clutched a towel over her bare chest. He cursed himself for not knowing she was in there. "Sorry." He turned and rushed into the bathroom.<p>

Once there though he didn't know what to do. He looked around. When his eyes landed on the shower curtain, his mind filled with images of them together inside that curtain.

Several moments later he was harder than a rock and wishing he could go back to the way things had been then, but the world had changed for them thanks to Jessie, Katie, and Niki. They'd taken more from him that night than just the sex that they wanted. They ruined his relationship with his mate as well. And, other than Katie, they would never understand what they had really done to him.

He felt the tears threatening to form again. He shook his head forcefully, swallowed the tears and swung the door open. He'd rather argue with her than sit crying in the bathroom. To his astonishment, she wasn't there. Her naked form was gone. He ran his hand through his hair. He was frustrated now in more ways than one. Sixty-eight hours to go.

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><p>Gabriella rolled over and watched him sleep. He looked so peaceful lying there. This was as close as she could get without waking him up. It was considerably closer than he'd allowed her when they were awake and looking at one another.<p>

She felt a tear roll down her nose and drip to her pillow. As quietly as possible she whispered, "I still love you, mate." She closed her eyes and reached her hand out to place on his chest.

Troy tried to ignore her, but her whispered confession and her warm hand made it impossible. For the millionth time in 10 months, he silently prayed to God for his life back.

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><p>When Troy woke the next morning, he felt somehow warmed and comforted in a way that he hadn't enjoyed in almost a year. He opened his eyes and felt his stomach turn just a little bit. She was curled up in his arms. He laid on his side behind her with his arms around her waist. He waged a war within himself. He couldn't decide whether to let go of her or just wait for her to wake up there in his arms. Ultimately, he let go and rolled out of bed without waking her up.<p>

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><p>Gabriella got up and ready for the day. She felt relieved in a way. She couldn't explain it. She had wanted to tell him since she'd gotten home from school that she still loved him. She'd never got the chance. So maybe it was the sheer psychological stress release of whispering to him last night that had eased her mind. Whatever it was, Gabriella was smiling for the first time in a while and she was loving it.<p>

She saw Troy out back shooting hoops again. She sighed. Maybe someday they'd find their way back together, but she knew it wasn't going to happen now. She finished her glass of lemonade and rinsed the glass before leaving.

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><p>Troy watched her from the corner of his eye. She looked amazingly hot in those shorts. In fact, this morning for the first time since she'd been home she looked like herself again. He'd had to stop himself from going to her when she'd come down for breakfast, because for the briefest moment, it had felt just like it used to. He'd remembered though as soon as she'd looked at him suspiciously for the smile he was giving her. He'd promptly scowled and said she shouldn't try so hard to get attention from guys.<p>

He'd been frustrated with himself as soon as the words had left his mouth. He'd watched as her face had fallen briefly. Then she'd smiled and defiantly said, "Why? Did I get your attention, Troy?"

He'd worked hard to resist the flirtatious smirk he'd wanted give her. Instead he rolled his eyes and left the kitchen to come out back. He could always count on his basketball skills to work out his frustrations. That was how he found himself standing here watching her car pull away from the curb. His instinct was to follow her. Truth be told, he wanted to just drop this stupid feud and be with his girl again. He found himself stalking past Panera Bread trying to nonchalantly see who she was having lunch with inside. When he couldn't see, he found himself behind a divider listening to her conversation with Jason, one of his supposed best friends and her brother.

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><p>Jason laughed, "Damn sis, that's some funny stuff. So what did you end up telling, dad?"<p>

Gabriella chuckled again, "I don't even remember now. Something about the guy being a lab partner, I think."

Jason chuckled lightly, "I wish I was single again sometimes, but then I take one look at Kelsi and I know I have it made."

Gabriella sighed, "Funny timing by dad aside, I still wish Troy and I had made it. But I guess some things just aren't meant to be."

Jason shook his head, "No way. He'll come around, Gabs. He loves you." He saw her look, "No, really. Sis, the guy's head is just all screwed up right now. No one comes out of rape and just goes back to regular life like nothing ever happened. Especially not guys. I mean he's supposed to be this big bad alpha and he goes and gets himself ruffied and then he gets raped. Then he loses you too. Give the guy a break. He's gotta get his head back on straight before you two can really try again."

Gabriella sighed, "It's been 10 months, Jason. And he's leaving in two days. He won't even talk to me without screaming at me. I mean there was one almost flirtatious conversation this morning, but he ended up putting me down and biting my head off even then. I miss the man I—I just—" She took in a deep breath and sighed loudly. That was went the scent caught her attention. "Did you invite anyone else to lunch with us?"

Jason shook his head, "No, why?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. She got up and glared at an empty booth. She looked around her, but didn't see him anywhere.

* * *

><p>Troy watched her from just inside the hall that led back to the bathrooms. She was looking for him. He watched her move. He watched her ease and her grace. Even now when she looked a little pissed, she was still easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.<p>

The first tear fell from his eyes. "I still love you too, baby," he whispered so that only he could hear it. When the coast was clear he ducked out of restaurant and ran some errands.


	5. Decisions

Completing Someone – Chapter 4 – Decisions

"Because she's MINE!"

"Man, you are the one who keeps refusing her. What the hell?"

Troy growled fiercely, "You don't talk about my mate that way, period!"

Chad got up and in between Troy and the new guy. "Look, Troy, Mark was just curious. Okay? All he said what that she looks amazing. What guy hasn't noticed that your mate is unbelievably hot? Seriously hot."

Troy growled at Chad, "I don't give a fuck what he was saying. SHE'S MINE!" He screamed into Chad's face.

Chad waved as if Troy left bad breath in his face. "Dude, you are the one who won't get back with her. All I'm saying is mating only gives us the desire to fuck them when we feel the pull to mate, it doesn't mean we actually love the girl and want to be her man. I get that the older wolves view mating as some kind of marriage ritual, but we're not them. And the truth is we were way too young to be marrying anybody. You're off the hook, dude. You can screw her when she's in heat and be with whoever the fuck you want to when she's not." Chad had said the words as if he had no agenda in them at all. Truth was everybody wanted to see them back together. All of their friends, even the older pack members, had begun to get edgy around Troy. And if Gabriella was in the room too, everyone gave them both way too much personal space.

Zeke rolled up on the scene. "Hey guys, what gives?"

Troy growled in Mark's direction, "This fucking bastard just—"

Chad smacked him upside the back of the head, "SHE'S NOT YOURS BY _**YOUR**_ CHOICE, NIMROD!"

Troy snapped at Chad, "Keep your hands off of me!"

Chad rolled his eyes and walked over to Zeke, "He's been like this for the last 20 minutes. I give up. Maybe you can get it through his head." He stomped off for the basketball courts.

Zeke leaned back against the side of his car and looked out over the park. "So let me get this straight. You want to claim Gabs when somebody else wants her, but you don't want anything to do with her when she throws herself at you?"

Troy glared at him. "This son of a bitch doesn't get to—"

Zeke just started laughing.

Both guys looked over at him like he was a lunatic.

Zeke shook his head and looked at Troy. "You're a god damned idiot, you know that? For being an alpha, you suck at women." He shook his head and walked away toward the basketball courts where Chad was shooting hoops.

Troy glared, but followed. "What am I supposed to do? Just make up with her? She fucking abandoned me!"

Zeke turned on his heel, "And when she came back to you and begged for your mercy and cried that she had no idea what had happened when she walked away, YOU FUCKING BAILED ON HER! Newsflash, jackass, YOU DON'T DESERVE HER!" He spun back around and kept walking.

Troy growled and circled around the front of Zeke before he could get too far away. "She's the one who doesn't deserve me, and why are you on _her_ side?"

Zeke shook his head, "I'm on both of your sides. And just to prove it, I'm the one who told her she should talk to you about this!"

Troy glared at him, "Well that was some shitty advice! You know I don't want to talk to her."

Zeke laughed maniacally, "Bullshit! That's ALL you want to do! You want to talk to her so bad, that all you talk about is HER!"

Troy took a step back. "You're out of your mind!"

Again, Zeke laughed a short, maniacally style laugh. "No, dude, you are the one who has lost his fucking mind. She's amazing, Troy. She came back to you and cried for your forgiveness. She has pined for you for months! She didn't have to come home for the summer. In fact, she should have stayed in Palo Alto to work on the projects that were offered to her with some SWEET as deals. Instead, she comes back here in hopes of making it work and YOU go and BAIL! I should pop you in the mouth where you stand!"

Troy looked at him confused, "What do you mean she turned down projects?"

Chad's voice seemed to sweep up behind him out of nowhere, "The profs out there were so impressed with her early work that they were making competing offers for her to stay and work on research studies all summer. More money than I'll make in a year…after I graduate. She gave up a lot to come home, dude."

Troy looked from Zeke to Chad and back. He shook his head, pulled his keys from his pocket, and left the park.

Zeke looked at Chad, "Can you believe that guy? God, how fucking stupid do you have to be?"

Chad groaned, "He's still our best friend, dude."

Zeke rolled his eyes, "You know what, I don't even know the guy that just drove away. The guy I've been best friends with since grade school died in Berkeley. This guy just fucking sucks."

Mark walked up to them, "What's wrong with what I said? I mean seriously. I'm not trying to piss off alpha every time I see her and damn near drool."

Chad shook his head. Then he ruffled Mark's hair with the hand not holding his basketball. "Nothing, man. He's just going through a hard time. It'll pass. We're just old friends with him and we get away with way more than you will."

Mark sighed, "Whatever. We playin' ball or what?"

Chad laughed and chest passed the ball to the younger guy.

* * *

><p>Troy glared at Gabriella, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE OFFERS! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY, 'TROY I GAVE UP A LOT TO COME HOME. I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!'?"<p>

Gabriella screamed back at him, "LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE MATTERED! I HAVE TOLD YOU I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

He ran his hand through his hair, "WHY DID YOU GIVE UP ON THE SHIT THAT MATTERS TO YOU!"

She sounded almost fragile as she said, "Because even now I would give up anything for you."

Troy groaned and leaned against the wall. "You shouldn't."

She walked up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. She felt him tense up at her touch. "Troy you need help. You can't make everything that happened this year go away on its own. Please, baby, let me help."

Troy felt the tears coming again. He hated the fucking tears. "I can't, Gabriella. You don't understand."

Gabriella let her head drop against his back and he jumped beneath her fingers. "I just want you to be whole again, Troy. With or without me, I want you to be able to love again."

He fought to hold back the tears. "Then maybe you should have thought of that a little sooner."

Gabriella looked at him with so much force it was nearly palpable. "Tell me you don't love me and I'll leave you alone."

Troy stood there for several moments contemplating what to say next. Finally he said, "You would really wait for me to get my head on straight again, wouldn't you?"

She nodded with an expression that showed her confusion. "Yes."

He stood quietly and very still for several more breaths. "Fine."

She furrowed her brow. "Fine what?"

He looked her in the eyes, "I'll get some help. I can't do it here. But, if you'll wait for me, when I'm thinking straight again, I'll come back for you." He felt the first tear crest his eye lashes. "If you want me to?"

She bit her lip. She stepped up to him softly and gently placed her hand on his cheek. "I'll always want you to come back to me, Troy." She tentatively pressed a light kiss to his lips. "I'll wait as long as it takes."

He nodded. He couldn't think of what he could possibly say to that right now. He pressed one more kiss to her lips and turned away from her. He walked until he reached their room. He looked around. Nothing here really felt right to him now. He felt like he had a different life and he was a different person now. Still, he packed a few clothes and walked down to the kitchen. He wrote a note for his parents/alpha, and left for California.


	6. Recall

Completing Someone – Chapter 5 - Recall

"So tell me why you're here today, Troy."

Troy fidgeted as he looked around the psychiatrist's office. "Well, uh, I guess it's complicated."

"Start from the first thing that comes to mind."

"Well, I was raped at the beginning of the school year. That's when everything started going south and when I started getting angry all the time."

"How were you raped?"

Troy looked at the therapist. He'd expected a surprised or even disbelieving reaction. Instead the woman was patiently waiting for him to answer her question. "I went to a party after a game and drank a few beers. One of them was ruffied. These three girls decided since I wouldn't cheat on my girlfriend willingly that they'd just take what they wanted."

Troy's mind flashed back to the video Chad had extracted from Jessie's phone when they'd stolen it from her for a day. In his mind he watched as each of the three girls had worked him until they could ride him. He was tied to the bed obviously drugged and out of it. He heard his own whimpers for Gabriella and watched as Nikki had smacked him for mumbling Gabriella's name while she 'enjoyed' herself.

The therapist waited quietly for a few moments before saying, "If you were ruffied, how do you know you were raped, Troy?" Her tone of voice had expressed obvious concern instead of disbelief.

Troy shook the memory away and returned to the present. One of the girls recorded it on her phone. My friend got a copy of it."

The therapist's eyebrows raised closer to her hairline. "You've seen the video then?"

Troy nodded, "Every single second missing from my memory."

"How did seeing that make you feel?"

Troy looked at her with a glare. "Pissed off!" He waited, but the woman said nothing. Then he continued, "Empty, angry, pissed off, miserable, vulnerable...out of control, violated."

She jotted something down and then smiled gently at Troy. "I want you know something. This is more important than you realize right now, but I'll remind you later." She took a breath, "The fact that you have said what you have to me today tells me that you are strong enough to heal from this and move on with a normal life. We'll talk more in coming weeks, but Troy you should know that I am sure you will be okay."

Troy felt his heart pounding in his chest. That was the first time someone had acknowledged that he needed to heal or told him with any kind of authority that he would be okay. He hadn't realized how much he'd needed to hear those exact words.

The therapist sat watching him quietly. She didn't interrupt his internal moment. Finally when his eyes appeared to register her again she asked, "Can you tell me what happened, Troy?"

Troy took a deep breath and started looking for the words.

* * *

><p>Gabriella smiled as she worked on the puzzle laid out between her and her dad. This was the first time since she'd been home that she'd gotten to spend any time with him.<p>

Her eyes followed as his fingers slipped an important piece into place for the "Defying Gravity" scene in Wicked in the picture on the front of the pieces.

Ed smiled at his daughter. Having her home eased his mind considerably, "So how are things with Troy?"

Gabriella whined softly.

Ed nodded, "Jason told me everything. Has Troy told Jack and Lucille yet?"

Gabriella shrugged as if to say, "I don't know." But no actual words left her mouth. She knew her dad would understand.

Ed sighed after watching her for a time. "You do understand that he might not ever heal properly, don't you Gabriella?"

She looked up at him, "He's getting help."

Ed shook his head, "Gabriella, my sweet princess, being an alpha and a male he's used to being in control. He's accustomed to a certain ability to enforce control even when it isn't freely given. Not only did those girls have sex with him when he didn't want to have sex with them, they proved to him in a horrifying way that he isn't strong enough or fast enough or smart enough to control everyone, all the time. In essence, they broke him like a trainer would break a horse."

Gabriella looked at her father with sad eyes, "I know that, but if he never tries to heal, he never will. I know he'll never be exactly the guy I fell in love with in high school, but daddy, I can't walk away from him again." She took a deep breath. "I made that mistake once in my life. I will not be my mother all over again. I will not push away my mate out of fear that he isn't what I thought he was when we were younger."

Ed stared at his daughter dumbfounded. All this time, he'd been concerned about Gabriella being too girlishly rosey-eyed about Troy's situation. Now, he found himself awed by the wisdom in her reasoning for fighting to retain her lover. "I'm sorry, Gabriella. I had forgotten that you've had to learn from your mother and I's mistakes the hard way." A moment of silence passed before he said, "Giving up on love isn't in your blood, my daughter. You are an alpha, too."

Gabriella met her father's eye for a moment as that thought struck home in her mind. She was of alpha blood and so was an alpha in her own right. She'd felt the need to command. She'd even directed and been followed. She'd never actually stopped and thought about it though, because there had always been alphas surrounding her that were older or more powerful. Now, with Jack and her dad busy with the school and the angels and Troy off trying to fix his mind, she was the only alpha really left for their generation. That was when she decided it was time to get back into gear with everything. She needed to lead in Troy's absence.

* * *

><p>Jack just looked at her, "I'm sorry, Gabriella. You want me to do what?"<p>

She waited patiently, "Take me with you when you meet with the angel again. In Troy's absence, I am the only alpha of my generation left. I need to be involved in shaping the events that will make or break our pack's future."

Jack scratched his head, "I'm not sure that's the best idea, Gabriella."

Lucille looked over at him, "She's right, Jack. In Troy's absence, she is the only one with alpha blood. She's obviously feeling the need to lead. You should take her with you."

Jack sighed, "I'll think about it."

Gabriella nodded, "That's reasonable. However, you should keep in mind that I am determined."

Jack shook his head, "If I decide to tell you 'no,' you will need to respect that as an alpha. I'll make it a command if it's necessary."

She simply watched him, but gave no response.

* * *

><p>Troy circled around the tree and zoned in on his alpha. He saw Jake whip around the large rocky outcropping. He followed Jake's scent as it led him down to the park's playground. Troy transitioned and grabbed his cut off shorts from the back tailgate of his truck. He slipped them on and walked over to the bench where Jake sat panting.<p>

"You're getting faster."

Troy smiled, "Yeah, well I still don't catch you."

Jake chuckled, "You still need to work on your focus though. You lost me for a few seconds there, didn't you?"

Troy nodded, "Yeah, I did."

Jake sat back against the bench. "How long are you going to stay here, Troy?"

Troy shrugged, "Until I feel like I can face her. Hell, until I feel like I can face any of them."

Jake chuckled, "Well, it's been three weeks. What is Helen telling you?"

Troy sighed, "She says that in another couple of weeks she really thinks I'll be ready to return home. I don't know. I feel like I've made some serious progress and I'm obviously capable of being around friends again." He looked over at Jake, "But, man, I can't for the life of me get over the pain I saw in her face before I left."

Jake patted him on the back. "She's still there waiting for you."

Troy looked at him confused. "You been checking up on my mate?"

Jake looked back at him, "In order to make sure I could control my youngest, most hot-headed alpha? Yes, I kept an eye on your mate."

Troy smiled, "Is she okay?"

Jake looked at him, "That's not for me to answer. Maybe you should call her?"

Troy dropped his head into his hands. "I don't think I can."

Jake laughed, "No, you mean you don't think you have the right."

Troy groaned, "Alright, alright. No, I don't think that it's fair for me to call her and drag up all of this while I've asked her to wait for me. Don't you think I should give her some space? That's basically what I've asked her to do for me."

Jake shook his head, "God, sometimes I forget how young you are, Bolton." He patted the younger wolf on the back. "She's been waiting for your call since she watched your truck pull away from the curb. Call her." It was the last thing he said before he walked away into the night.

* * *

><p>Troy sat in his truck staring at his phone. On the screen was Gabriella's picture and her contact information. His thumb hovered over the send button. He was freaking out again. He'd done so well for the last three weeks. He'd missed her, but he hadn't freaked out even once. Now, he was battling with himself again.<p>

Finally, he pressed send. When she answered, his mouth went dry.

"Hey, ghost of my mate."

"Hi, baby—shit, I mean Gabs."

She smiled to herself. "So, you called."

He picked at his steering wheel where the cover was wearing thin. "Yeah. I thought maybe I'd see what you've been up to. You know, if you wanted to talk about it and it hasn't been other guys. Not that I'd blame you. I mean I've left you alone, again, for like—"

Gabriella chuckled, "I've been tending to the business of the pack, Troy."

He furrowed his brow. "What business? Do you need me to come home?"

She flushed, "I—I want you to come home, but we're managing alright without you. It's nothing serious. I just kind of took lead of our generation while you're gone." There was silence on the other end for several moments. Finally, she said, "I am an alpha as well, Troy. I mean my dad is an alpha and so I have alpha blood, too."

He looked around him. "No, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for my silence to seem like I didn't believe you could lead the generation. I know you can. You can do anything you decide to do, baby. You always have."

She bit her lip. Her grin widened again. "Thank you."

He smiled to himself. She sounded like she was smiling. "You're welcome."

She giggled.

He shook his head, "God, I missed that sound."

She smiled wider if that was possible. "Yeah?"

He let out a breath. "Yeah. I've missed everything about you."

She picked at the comforter in front of her. "I've worn your jersey every night since I left you."

He felt something in his chest ease. "Even when you were angry with me and wouldn't talk to me?"

She nodded, "Even then. Your scent on the jersey was the one thing that kept me going. I guess it was just some part in the back of my head that refused to believe that you couldn't make everything better."

He shook his head, "I'm not that powerful, Gabs. I wish I was."

She rolled her eyes. She wished she hadn't said that. He sounded so sad. "No one is that powerful and no one should be expected to be. I'm sorry, Troy. I had you up on this pedestal and I didn't stop to think that there were people who would do anything to see you fall."

He gripped the seat and remembered to breathe the way Helen had taught him to do. "None of this is your fault, Gabriella. The whole thing is the result of abusive jerks."

She nodded to herself. "Troy…we'll get through this. Just don't give up on me."

He felt a tear fall, "I never gave up on you, baby. I tried. I fought like hell, but I never gave up on you. The only person I ever gave up on was myself. I thought I wasn't strong enough to handle anything anymore. I was wrong. It was one bad situation, not the sum total of my abilities."

She smiled, "I cannot explain how much I love that you just said that. I didn't know the words, but it's what I've wanted to say for months."

He nodded and thanked God for Helen's words again. "My therapist and my alpha out here have been helping me get my head straight, baby. I'm not 100% yet, but I'm making major progress. I swear I will come home as soon as I can."

She nodded, "I'll be here, Troy. I love you."

He felt another tear fall. "I love you too, mate."


	7. Renew

Completing Someone – Chapter 6 – Re-new

_Dear Diary,_

_Yes, I know that sounds totally lame, but I have to write 'dear' someone, don't I? I mean isn't it some kind of diary mandate? Anyway, I digress. So, here's the run down. Troy is still in Cali. Gabriella is awesome at running things efficiently, but we all miss the old Troy. Chad is out of control. Taylor is in the early stages of planning a coup. Jason is stuck between his sister and the rest of our generation of the pack. And then there's little ole me. _

_I thought leaving for Julliard was going to be the hard part. I thought after I found out that Jason was a Were that we'd handled the tough stuff. Then, I thought that the actual mating ritual was the edge of my sanity. Now, I just think that I'm here to observe. Mind you, I still find ways to participate, kind of like Martha and Nate. But, there's always me in the corner quietly writing lyrics and music notes as though they are some kind of special Were code displaying the histories of this Albuquerque pack._

_Wait, where was I? Oh, right. The rundown. Well, we were all thrilled when Troy left for California to get his head straightened out, but then we all wished he'd come home when Gabriella started trying to fill in for him. She's amazing in her own right. And truth is we've never really run this well as a group. Still, we miss Troy's gravitas, you know? There's just something about the guy that draws people to him. Something that makes everyone around him want to help him with anything going on. Gabs - as much as I love her- just doesn't have that gravitas._

_Oh, well, looks like the meeting is about to start. I'll write more later._

_Kels_

* * *

><p>Gabriella called the meeting to order. She looked over at Jason, "Hey bro, could you get Chad to come in, please."<p>

Jason schlepped outside and told Zeke and Chad that the meeting was starting. All three guys grudgingly returned to the living room floor.

Gabriella smiled and said, "I talked to Troy last night."

The whole room livened up.

"He doesn't know exactly when he'll be home, but he wanted everyone to know that he's making some progress. He's doing better." She cleared her throat and let out a breath. "I thought that I'd make sure that everyone knew that we're do for a…"

_Well this is crazy. The meeting started out all exciting with news from Troy. Then, back into the normal swing of things. Gabriella is talking with Jason now. I'm just waiting for him. I can't imagine what this has been like for her. Not only did she lose her mate for a long time, she's also been trying to keep the group together the only way she knows how. Oh, here comes Jason. See ya._

* * *

><p>Troy stood in front of the house with his duffle bag hanging over one side of his shoulders and his laundry bag hanging over his other shoulder. He sighed heavily as he looked at the place. Nothing had changed really. He felt his chest fill with a bit of anxiety before he took the deep breaths that Helen had taught him how to do. It didn't look like anyone was home at the moment which suited Troy fine. He'd rather have a chance to get familiar with the space again before he had to deal with people and their emotions.<p>

As he unlocked the door, he thought back about his last conversation with Gabriella.

"_I miss you so much, baby. God, I really need to see you."_

_She chuckled into the phone, "I know exactly what you mean. It feels like it's been years since we've just laid next to each other and cuddled."_

_Troy smiled to himself, "I wasn't even considering cuddling, honey. I had a more, uh, active idea in mind."_

"_Troy…For god's sake I live with your parents. For all you know I have you on speaker phone and they're sitting right here!"_

_Troy laughed, "Nope. You just pulled your key out of the front door. Know how I know? Because I know the sound of your keys and the squeak of the door as it closes."_

_Gabriella closed the door. "Yeah, well, I'll be happy when it closes behind you, mister."_

_Troy had flipped over on his bed. "It's gonna be a little rough at first. You're literally the only person I've talked to since I came back up here six weeks ago."_

"_Yes, but I've passed messages along. And trust me everyone is ready to have you back."_

Troy walked into the house that had been home all his life. He looked around. Just about everything was the same. He dropped his bags in the laundry room and moved into the living room. No one appeared to be home.

He jogged up the stairs and let himself into 'their' room. He looked around and smiled as he saw her things all over the room. He unpacked a few things before deciding that finding his friends was more important than his clothes.

* * *

><p>Troy watched from the grassy hill as Chad, Zeke, Jason, and the new kid played basketball. He saw Gabriella sitting against a tree nearby. She had a book and what appeared to be a number of charts and graphs strewn out across the ground. She hadn't changed at all. She was still that beautiful book nerd that he couldn't get out of his head and could never be sane without.<p>

It was calming to just stand there and watch them. All the way here he'd been trying to anticipate how things would go. The truth was that he had no idea how they'd react to him.

He glanced back over to Gabriella and couldn't resist the smile that came over his face as he saw her eyes looking up at him. He watched as she yelled something casual to the guys before walking toward him.

When she was a few feet away she smiled tentatively, "Hey."

"Hi," he said with a charming smile.

She looked at him, "When did you get back?"

"Just a little bit ago." He looked around them. "I remembered you saying that you've spent afternoons here a lot lately.

She nodded.

He watched her, but she wasn't moving any closer. So, he took a step toward her. "So…"

She stepped a bit toward him. "So…"

He pulled her closer, "I missed you."

She smiled shyly, "I missed you, too."

He leaned in very close. "Can I have a kiss?"

She gave him an innocent peck of lips.

He laughed, "I was thinking something a little more passionate."

She tilted her head and gave him a mock quizzical expression. "Like what?"

Troy leaned in. He paused and gave her a second to back away from him if she wanted to. When she didn't', he leaned in and pressed an intensely passionate kiss to her lips. He pulled her flush against him and wrapped his fingers through hers.

With her arms twisted behind her, he wrapped their entwined arms around her. He finally pulled back from their tongue-dueling kiss and looked at her with bright eyes and a smile. "Hi, baby."

She grinned, "Well, hello to you, too."

He chuckled.


	8. Socializing

Completing Someone – Chapter 7 – Socializing

The backyard was full of people. It seemed as if the entire town had emerged to welcome home their most adored son. Troy looked out on the commotion that he could only describe as organized chaos. "There's so many of them. I thought this was going to be us and maybe a few of our friends."

Gabriella pulled gently on his arm again. "Oh, come on, Troy. You know everyone down there. Plus, half of these people are pack in some way which makes this like family!"

Troy gave her an incredulous look over his shoulder. "Nice try. Look through the window, Gabriella! I barely managed to find the right words to talk to Chad and Zeke and then Mom and Dad. What the hell am I supposed to say to all these people about why I was gone?"

Gabriella released his arm and walked up next to him. "That's what all this dragging your feet is about? You don't know what to tell them?"

Troy looked at her with eyes full of embarrassment and nervousness. "I am supposed to tell them the truth?"

She smiled and said, "Yes."

His expression changed to reveal terror, "No. No way! One of them gets pissed at me and this whole thing ends up on the cover of Sports Illustrated! I didn't press charges because I don't want the media involved in this very private matter!"

Gabriella continued to smile at him innocently. "No one said it had to be the whole truth, Troy. You were working for your coach at a basketball camp up there, right?"

He nodded.

She gave him a curt nod of her own. "Well then, what other reason would you need for being there, besides wanting to spend some time with your friend Jake?"

Troy looked at her. "You think they'll really take that?"

She grinned, "Well, it is what your mom and I have been telling people. If you want to elaborate on the rest go for it. But if I were you, I'd obfuscate the details you don't want them to know."

Troy shook his head at her, "When did you become this devious?"

She smirked, "I've always been this devious as far as you know. Remember the difference between Gabriella the book nerd, and Gabs the bad girl?"

His grin widened. "Have I told you how much I love you yet today?"

She shook her head, "I'm sure I would have remembered that."

He kissed her softly. "You are my hero—heroine."

She laughed, "Come on, druggie. Let's get down there."

Troy allowed himself to be drug down to the party happening in his parent's backyard. He smiled at people and waved at several. He found his hands filled with a cup and some snack food by his mother. He realized a few minutes later that she'd provided his excuse to politely get out of handshakes and hugs, most of the time.

A little while later, he looked up and saw Gabriella dancing on the area of grass that had somehow gotten designated as the "dance floor." He was smiling softly to himself at her motions. She was truly beautiful. He had forgotten for so long what it felt like to simply know that she was his. He'd fought the feeling of being her mate for so long that he kept finding himself staring at her in amazement. She had taken him back with open arms and loving caresses. Watching her smile and laugh with friends as she moved gracefully to the music made him want to hold her tightly and maybe, if he was a lucky wolf, do a few other things.

Ed walked over and sat down next to Troy. "She's a beautiful woman, isn't she?"

Troy glanced over at Ed. "Yes, yes she is."

Ed rubbed his hand over his jaw. "You know it occurred to me while you were away that I never really gave you permission to mate with my one and only daughter."

Troy looked over at him. "Do you remember me asking if there was something special to call you or do?"

Ed smiled and looked down at his now empty punch cup. "My ex says you can't be trusted again. Of course, she's only aware of a small portion of the story."

Troy looked over at Ed more seriously. "And you believe you have the whole story?"

Ed looked the younger man in the eye. "Son, no one should have to live through that, man or woman. None the less, I am going to say this. Because I cannot change the fact that you've already mated, you may continue to be with my daughter. However, know this, she would die for you. She would murder for you. She would do nearly anything to protect you that you would do to protect her."

Troy met Ed's eye in a steady gaze that left a quiet understanding resonating between the two alphas. "Pack Law is clear, both here and in California."

Ed nodded, "I'm aware."

Troy sighed, "Jesus, Ed, how many packs have you been a part of?"

Ed chuckled, "Let's see, well, come to think of it, 24."

Troy's eyebrows rose toward his hair line. "Wow."

Ed nodded, "Doesn't matter where you go, boy. I know someone close by who owes me a favor."

Troy swallowed hard enough to be seen as a gesture of nervousness. "Yes, sir."

Ed's smile returned, "You keep her safe and she'll do the same. I'm depending on that, Troy. I honestly don't know how long I'd last without my little girl."

Troy let his finger trace the bottle where the condensation had covered it. "I know I don't last without her. I'll do everything I can, or die trying."

Ed shook his head, "That's part of what I'm afraid of. You should realize that she breaks without you as well. She wouldn't recover from your death, Troy. You can't allow yourself to go that far either."

Troy ran a hand through his hair. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Ed smiled and looked down at the table, "Keep her happy, so that death is unnecessary."

Troy rolled his eyes, "You make it sound so simple and easy, but we both know that's a lie."

Ed chuckled and flicked his eyes back up to his only daughter.

* * *

><p>Troy encircled her in his arms as they swayed to the slower music that Kelsi had let play as she danced in her wolf's arms. Troy smiled as he glanced around at the younger couples still swaying to the music. He met his dad's eye for a moment and they shared a gentle nod as they each held their respective mate. Briefly a thought flashed through Troy's mind…is this what it would be like to dance with her at their wedding? Then the thought passed and Troy snuggled Gabriella in his arms. He felt her legs beginning to give out. His princess was tired. He smiled to himself and whispered into her ear, "Should I take you up to bed, Precious?"<p>

She nodded gently against his shoulder.

He smiled and bent down. He scooped her into his arms bridal style. He began to softly sing to her as he walked them off the dance floor. "Come with me, my love. To the sea, the sea of love. I wanna tell you just how much I love you…"

Gabriella nuzzled her nosed against his neck. She mumbled against his skin, "Troy…"

He kissed her forehead and began to sing again. "Do you remember when we met? That's the day, I knew you were my pet. I wanna tell you just how much I love you."

Gabriella smiled in her sleepy haze at the sound of his voice softly serenading her. She purred for him.

Troy felt a smile grace his lips as he carried her up the stairs. "Come with me…to the sea. Come….Come…Do you remember when we met? That's the day I knew you were my pet. I wanna tell you, oh, just how much I love you."

Gabriella felt Troy release her body weight onto the mattress of their bed, but she noticed that he never truly let go of her.

Troy laid down next to the woman he'd fought to get better for. It seemed like a million years ago now. His leaving for California to "get well." In fact, most of his freshman year just felt like a hazy nightmare. This felt right, these sweet moments with Gabriella. Holding her close to him, kissing her soft lips, swaying with her to slow music, these were the moments that finally made him feel like his life was his again. He watched as her eyelids steadily closed then opened just before closing again. "Shhh…sleep now, baby. I won't leave you. I'm right here."

Gabriella had taken to grasping him while she slept. It was almost as if her subconscious was terrified that he'd slip away from her in the night. He couldn't possibly explain how guilty that made him feel. None the less, the fact that she was afraid to lose him meant that she was still deep enough in love with him that her unconscious mind would reach for him. "I'm here, my precious kitten. Your lover will never leave you again."

Gabriella nuzzled her nose just under his chin against his neck. She purred for her lover.

Troy kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her. "Rest, my love. Rest here in my arms. I'll not leave you 'til the morning should come." He heard her breathing change and knew his Werecat was comfortably passed out against him. "I love you, Gabriella, so much more than I know how to say."


	9. Again

Completing Someone – Chapter 8 – Again

Troy looked over at her from behind his hair. "You've got to be kidding me? Gabriella! I mean I know you were a nerd by day and party girl by night, but damn!"

Gabriella laughed, "Yeah, to say the whole situation was embarrassing is an understatement."

Troy laughed a little as his head ducked down a bit more. He looked at their clasped hands. "So, what did you tell your dad?"

She sighed and wiggled her thumb in front of his in an attempt to capture his beneath hers. "I think I said he was my lab partner."

Troy looked up at her, "You're dad has super smell ability and you told him the guy was a lab partner?"

Gabriella captured Troy's thumb. With a giant smile she met his eyes, "He might be able to tell what we'd done, but it doesn't mean that I have to tell him." She leaned forward with her lips puckered.

Troy chuckled and pressed a soft, quick kiss to her lips. "You're insane, beautiful."

She smiled as she met his eyes again, "So, which is it? Insane or beautiful?"

Troy grinned, "Definitely both."

She giggled softly and pressed another kiss to his lips. Very softly she said, "I missed this. I missed you."

Troy bent his head forward and let their foreheads lean together. "I missed me too. It was like living through some horrible nightmare. Nobody understood what I was feeling and I didn't want them to understand either. I wanted nothing and no one to matter, but every time I felt you in my blood, I couldn't deny how much I missed my life. I just couldn't figure out how to get it all back."

She used one hand to pull him down to lie in front of her, each on their sides. "After what I had done I thought I had no right to push you. I wanted to run to you so badly."

He looked up at her, "You did. I remember seeing you once. I was going out for a run and I thought I heard my name and I saw you walking back to your car from my building."

She nodded, "I thought you didn't see me. I was going to beat your door down, but I ran into the girls before I got inside and my confidence that you would still love me faded. I chickened out."

Troy looked at her, "I watched you leave. I couldn't decide if I should go to you or not. I just stood there. When I told Helen about it, she said that moment where I froze was a sign that I wanted to get better. I just didn't know how to take the first step."

Gabriella ran her fingers through his hair. "Can I make a request?"

He met her eyes again, "Yeah. Anything."

She glanced away, reluctant to ask… "Can we not talk about the rape tonight? Can we just talk about our lives?"

He looked at her, "It has been my life for almost a year. But, yeah, I get sick of talking about it too sometimes. So, have I told you about my basketball season?"

She smiled gently. "No, you haven't, but I followed it as best I could. Your dad had to explain some things to me, though."

He chuckled again, "Oh, my sweet princess..."

She just looked at him quizzically, "What's with the princess thing lately?"

Troy pressed a quick kiss to her lips and sat back up on the bed. He stuffed a soft pillow behind his back as he leaned back against the wall facing her. "Well, I'm an alpha and will eventually run our pack. So, I'm kind of like our prince. So, I figure that since we're mated that makes you my princess. Besides, you're beautiful enough to be a princess."

She rolled her lips in between her teeth and then back out. She smiled, "Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome, mate," he said in a husky, animal-filled voice.

She loved the thrill that rushed through her when he spoke in that tone. "MMMmmm…I love that husky voice you get—"

He leaned down and kissed her passionately. He firmly pressed his lips against hers. He let his body stretch out and pushed into a push-up position over top of his lover. He pulled his lips from her for just a moment. "I missed this." He kissed her again.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god, it's 2 am."<p>

Troy chuckled, "Yes, it is."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "I had things I wanted to do this morning."

Troy traced his finger tips along the side of her face. In a raspy, extremely tired voice he said, "Still can. We can go to sleep now if you want to."

Gabriella's chocolate eyes met his blue, "I don't want to. I want every second I can get like this. Tonight feels like…I don't know how to describe it."

Troy smiled, "You're tired, baby."

Gabriella gave him a grouchy look.

Troy chuckled again. "I will be here when you wake up in the morning, princess. You don't have to be afraid."

Gabriella looked away as though she were feeling guilty.

Troy touched her face again. "What is it?"

She bit her lip again. "Would it be cruel of me to say that I'm still afraid that the next time we talk you will bite my head off again? I know you didn't mean to hurt me, but Troy all the anger…it hurt. I'm scared that you'll go back to being so angry."

He sighed heavily. "I wish that I could say that you have no reason to be upset, but I'm not stupid either. All I can tell you is that I'm getting better. Jake taught me how to get through it. I'm still learning though. I'm going to have frustrating times, princess."

Gabriella curled into his chest. She tucked her hands between them and let her head rest against his chest. "I love you so much."

Troy kissed her head, "I love you so much too, baby."

Gabriella's breathing slowly eased into a soft rhythm.

Troy kissed her head again and sighed to himself. She meant the world to him. He was beginning to feel like he fit here again, but there were times when he still felt like an imposter in their life together. When she told him that she was still scared he'd hurt her, he felt like an evil impersonator of the man he should be with her.

"_Troy, you have to let go, man. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. When you feel most separated from those you love, focus on your breathing and listen to your surroundings. Ease your mind into listening."_

_Troy groaned. "This is hard," he complained._

_Jake shook his head, "Quit forcing yourself to control your thinking. Just listen. Tell me softly what you hear."_

_Troy closed his mouth and listened, "Insects, the wind. What else am I supposed to hear?"_

"_You answer questions. I ask them." He put his hand over Troy's eyes. "What do you hear now?"_

_Troy growled, "A wolf growling."_

_Jake laughed, "Smartass."_

_Troy sighed roughly. "Fine." He listened to their surroundings a bit. "There's wind blowing. There are lots of different insects. There are some trees rustling over there." He pointed toward the trees at the edge of the dark park._

_In a softer whisper, Jake said, "Good. What about farther away from us?"_

_Troy tuned into sounds farther away. "There's some cars out on the highway. There's a plane coming toward us."_

_Jake nodded to himself. "Good. Now focus on living creatures. What sounds do you hear that are created by living creatures?"_

_Troy zoned in on animals and insects. Then he heard a distinct sound that reminded him of home, "People. It sounds like their barbequing in a backyard somewhere…"_

_Jake quickly picked up the conversation, "Other than humans, what other living creatures are around us?"_

_Troy focused his hearing away from the people. It hurt to hear people enjoying an evening together. "Bugs…uh, cicadas and mosquitoes buzzing. There's lightning bugs over there. And there's a deer and several bats over that direction."_

_Jake smiled and released his hand. "Now tell me what is south of us with just your eyes closed."_

Troy opened his eyes and whispered to himself, "Birds, lots and lots of birds." He'd gotten very good at using his surroundings to ease his emotional burden. Now, he used the memory and his current surroundings to clear the thoughts he couldn't handle.

He looked down at Gabriella. "I love you, princess." He kissed her head again and curled his much more relaxed body around his love before dropping off into a deep sleep as well.


	10. Rounds

Completing Someone – Chapter 9 – Rounds

Jack looked the angel in the eye. "You're telling me that it could happen again?"

Charlie nodded. "I'm sorry, Jack."

Jack sat down on the bench and let out a heavy sigh. He ran a hand over his face and knew that he would look twenty years older before the end of the day. His meetings with "Charlie" always left him emotionally drained, but this news was heavier than usual.

Charlie frowned, "Have you spoken to him yet?"

Jack looked up from where he'd been staring at the ground. He met Charlie's eyes. "No. He's still battling to get back to himself. He's not ready for that yet."

Charlie simply continued to look directly at Jack. After a moment of Jack's intense stare, he said, "He's going to have to find out sooner or later, Jack."

Jack nodded, "But now is not the time. He doesn't need that weight on his shoulders just yet."

Charlie said nothing. He simply stood watching Jack as though his observation weren't enough to weight Jack down.

Jack looked back at the human looking angel. "When do you expect they'll cross over into our plane again?"

Charlie shook his head. "It's hard to tell really. We still haven't discovered what it is that they're actually looking for here. So, our knowledge of when and where is a bit lacking."

Jack shook his head a few times, "You're an angel. Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on things down here?"

Charlie raised on eyebrow dramatically, "What do you think I am, Jack…a glorified babysitter with wings?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "So, when you have new information, meet with me. Until then, avita zein."

Charlie disappeared from where he'd stood a few feet from Jack.

Jack leaned forward putting his head in his hands. The world was falling apart around him. He felt this nostalgia coming on for a time just over a year ago when his son was safe and normal and angels were nearly fictitious beings in some far off place called heaven.

* * *

><p>Lucille turned a corner in her red station wagon. She was on her way to pick up Pastor Mike. They had their weekly rounds to make. More importantly, however, was that she had asked the good pastor to speak to Troy now that her son was home.<p>

She smiled and waved as she turned into the driveway of the home provided by the church.

"Hey!" She hugged him as she got out of the car. "Are you ready for a fun and exciting day of geriatric patrol?"

Pastor Mike chuckled, "You know you love this. Those people are all so happy to see it us that it could melt the heart of any real cynic."

She nodded and smiled lightheartedly. "Yeah. They're pretty great aren't they?"

Pastor Mike smiled, "Yes they are. Now, let's get this show on the road. I have evening appointments to make as well."

Lucille chuckled, "I swear dinner will be superb."

Pastor Mike smiled, "I expect nothing less from you, madame."

* * *

><p>Jack walked back into the gym and looked down at his cell phone. He could call Troy and give him the information that Charlie had relayed to him over the previous couple of meetings. It was certain that the angels' war was going to overflow into their plane of existence again. Charlie was sure that in some way Troy was the "key" to turning the tide in a war that had last for millennia.<p>

Jack cringed as he started to reach for the phone. A leader needs to know these things, but Jack still saw Troy as his pain-filled little boy. Jack wanted to protect him as long as he could. Jack looked up into his reflection in the window of his office. He knew when he saw his eyes that he wouldn't be able to tell Troy yet. He wasn't ready. The problem was that Jack wasn't sure if the "he" was Troy or himself.

* * *

><p>Sharpay opened her eyes beneath her sunglasses as she noticed a cold drop land on her warm, sun-glazed arm. "Yes, my wolf."<p>

Zeke bent down and kissed her forehead. "Jack just called. Meeting for our generation at 8 tonight."

She nodded and looked back up at him. "Has he told Troy yet?"

Zeke tried to restrain his disappointment, but his mate saw right through it. "It doesn't sound like it, no."

Sharpay sat up and glared, "What the hell is he waiting for? This is getting more dangerous by the day! They need to know that Troy can't avoid this! They need to have some understanding that he can't just run away from this!"

Zeke sat behind his mate and placed his hands on her shoulders and began to rub soothingly. "It's not our place, Shar. Troy's dad will tell him when he's ready. He'd never put Troy in danger."

Shar huffed, "Keeping him in the dark is putting him in danger. This is ridiculous!"

Zeke leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. "We made it through last time. We're more prepared now. Everything is going to be alright, sugar. Just try to stay calm."

Sharpay relaxed back into Zeke's arms. "She won't survive losing him again. And this is so much bigger than a couple of stupid college girls. He won't be able to run away from this."

Zeke nodded and let Sharpay begin to calm within his arms.

"Zeke?"

"Yes, sugar."

"I feel like we should be telling them. I feel like I should do something. Is it wrong for me to keep the secret just because Jack isn't ready to tell them?"

"Ultimately, Jack is our alpha, Shar. He might have reasons for withholding this information that we don't know. Maybe Troy is more fragile than he seems to us right now. Maybe Jack's plan incorporates a strategy we don't know yet. We have to keep this information between us and Chad and Tay."

Sharpay groaned. "Fine. But, I want it well known that I'm against this strategy. If it fails, I'll tear into Jack myself."

Zeke chuckled softly, "Sugar, no one has ever doubted that."

Sharpay leaned back completely wrapped in Zeke's arms now. They laid there snuggled together warming themselves in the sunshine by her parent's pool.

* * *

><p>Chad walked calmly into Taylor's house. "Hey Mr. M. How's it goin'?"<p>

Taylor's dad sighed heavily, "The world is falling apart around us, little man."

Chad didn't react to the nickname at all. He'd grown accustomed to it once he'd figured out that it was the old man's way of showing affection. "Well, I guess that means we don't have to fight so hard to hold it together then, huh?"

The older man chuckled, "You would try to find some kind of silver lining in my depressing observations, wouldn't you? Of course, you're wrong, but I like that you're trying anyway. How's my daughter these days? Seems you see her twice as much as her mother or I."

Chad shrugged, "She's—well, she's Taylor. She's still ticked off at that professor who gave her a B in organic chem. She's still pushing me to do something with my life. Oh yeah, and she still trying to organize our way out of defending our entire plane of existence from any remaining angelic turmoil."

Mr. McKessie chuckled, "Ah, yes. That's my little girl. Always trying to improve everything and everyone around her."

Chad nodded, "Some people never change."

Mr. M smiled, "Son, there are worse people in the world than those trying to make it better. Sometimes just trying is the most daunting task of all."

Chad looked at the older man, "Yeah, okay." He waited a second before he said, "She gets it from you, doesn't she? Seeing the best possibility imaginable?"

Mr. McKessie smiled, "Just because I comment on the negative doesn't mean I don't see the positive."

Chad nodded as he made his way out of their kitchen, "Because you have to see one to see the other."

Mr. McKessie agreed with Chad as he turned to head out into the backyard.

Chad wandered into Taylor's room. As usual she was up, dressed, and working on something before he was truly functional for the day. He walked over to her and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. "Hey."

Taylor stopped briefly to receive Chad's kiss and then went directly back to what she'd been doing. "Hi."

Chad sat down on the bed. "So…still ticked off at me, I see."

Taylor didn't respond. She simply continued working on filing away her papers from the previous semester into her large file cabinet.

Chad sighed, "Tay, honey, please don't shut me out like this. You know I can't handle it!"

Taylor didn't even flinch.

"Damn it Taylor!"

She whipped around and glared at him, "So long as you remain silent and keep secrets from Troy and Gabriella, I will remain silent and keep secrets from you!"

"This isn't about us! You don't even know WHY coach is keeping Troy in the dark! It could be important!"

Taylor spun herself back around and went back to her filing.

Chad paced her room. "What do you want me to do? Am I supposed to defy my alpha?"

Taylor said in a stern voice, "Troy is your alpha too."

Chad growled, "He's not the pack alpha. He's the generation alpha. There's a goddamned difference and you know it!"

Taylor seemed completely unfazed by Chad's growling and pacing. "Well, then I suppose it's up to you to decide which is more important, your coach or your best friend."

Chad plopped down on the bed and dropped his head back onto her pillow. "You know it's more than that, Tay. I hate keeping secrets from him, but it's not my place to tell him. It's his dad who should be handling this."

Taylor stopped and looked over at Chad, "Well, we can agree on that at least." She went over to the bed and lied down next to Chad. "Are you all set with the paperwork?"

Chad wrapped his arm around Taylor and bent forward to kiss the top of her head. "Yeah, I am. You'll check it over before we send it out tomorrow, right?"

Taylor nodded, "Definitely. This is too big a move to let some kind of bureaucratic red tape get in the way."

Chad squeezed her slightly. "I don't know if he's going to be happy about this or not, but I can't leave him to rot in California by himself next year."

Taylor nodded against Chad's chest. "I haven't told Gabi yet either. It's gonna be a big change, but at least it's still Ivy League."

Chad chuckled, "Well, it's not exactly—"

"Don't start with the sports conference thing again. I don't care what conference Stanford teams play in, it's still an Ivy League school in terms of academic prestige."

Chad chuckled and kissed her head again. "Okay, sweets."


	11. Back

Completing Someone – Chapter 10 – Back

Troy rolled them over. His lips crashing back into hers as he pressed down against her body. He groaned with need, but he kept his eyes tightly closed. He kept his mind shut down. He focused entirely on his feelings. "Mine…" He felt her move to turn them. Then he felt her straddle his hips and he groaned as his body involuntarily thrust up against her panty covered wetness.

Gabriella moaned as her head dropped back and her back arched at the feel of his manhood rubbing just where she wanted it. Her anticipation had taken over. She desired him between her legs, thrusting, filling, satiating that need to be with her mate. "Troy," she whimpered. She wanted to beg him to take her, but she knew his hold on this was tentative. He was back and he loved her, but she wasn't sure if he trusted himself. He wasn't the same lover she'd been with so many times before.

He took in a deep breath and opened his eyes. He looked up over her nearly naked body writhing on top of his. He wanted to touch every piece of skin. He wanted them writhing together, naked, with him inside her. He couldn't take any more teasing. He needed her. Just her. No one else would do. He picked her up and dropped her on the bed. He jerked her panties from her body. Then in one swift movement, he slid into her body smoothly. "Mine…" He bottomed out, inside her body. Only then did he look down to her face. His eyes met hers as he stayed in that one place. He saw some concern in her eyes, but mostly he saw sexual desire. She desired him. He began to thrust in and out.

He built them back up to that height of pleasure they'd been seeking. He let his head drop down beside hers. He was breathing heavily now. His body was covered in a layer of sweat. He felt her tightening around his cock as she reached her peak. As she shivered one more time, he felt his body release. His muscles clamped down as his semen rushed from his testes through his cock into her warm, sweet pussy. He felt the rush of adrenaline and intensity. He savored the total satisfaction as it washed over him. He collapsed on top of Gabriella. "Damn, baby, you don't know how much I needed that."

She giggled beneath him. "Not as much as I did."

He shook his head and felt a lack of the frustration he'd been carrying around with him for months. "No, no way. I feel…I—"

Gabriella let her fingers slowly stroke the hairs at the back of his neck that seemed to sooth him so quickly. "Sh…you'll tell me when you're ready."

Troy nodded silently. He didn't know how to explain to her that he hadn't really felt like everything was normal. He hadn't felt like he was really back until now. He'd been nervous about their first time making love again. He'd been worried that she wouldn't find him as sexy or that she wouldn't want him at all. He hadn't been able to dominate her the way he used to, but he didn't know how to tell her any of that.

* * *

><p>Gabriella rolled over to an empty bed. She'd thought he'd be there ready for a little morning sex. After all, morning sex had always been his favorite. She got up though, and began to head into the shower. Then she heard their door open and she heard him set something down before knocking on the bathroom door. She opened it. "Yes?"<p>

He stood there with a smile, "Sorry I didn't get back before you woke up."

She smiled and lightly bit her lower lip. "Where were you?"

He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "You'll see. Take your shower, baby."

She nodded and eyed him suspiciously. "Alright." She turned and got into the shower. When she finished drying herself off, she wrapped the towel around her body and combed her hair quickly before heading back into their room. She couldn't hold back the grin that washed over her face when she saw them. "Oh my god, Troy, they're so beautiful!" She looked around the room at a 2 dozen different red roses in various vases and clumps of 2 or 3. Finally her eyes met his.

He smiled a bit nervously. "I felt like I should say I'm sorry about pushing you away for so long. You didn't deserve that. I mean the whole situation was fucked up, but you and I falling apart wasn't because you didn't try…I just didn't know how to reach back to you. I didn't want you to see me that weak, baby."

She had her hand over her mouth as he spoke.

He sat on the edge of the bed. "Last night…well, it got me thinking. I love you. I've missed you so much I don't know how to say it. And, I realized I'd never really said, I'm sorry."

Gabriella walked over and stood just in front of him with her towel still tucked around her. She looked down into his eyes. "I am sorry too. I jumped to conclusions. I assumed the worst about you. I promise you that it won't happen again."

He shook his head, "If I've learned anything from this, it's that you never know what's going to happen. I know you'll try not to assume the worst, but baby, we have no idea what life has in store for us."

She grinned, "Well, that's true."

He narrowed his eyes, "That's a suspicious expression you have on your face there. What's up?"

Gabriella laughed, "Well, we might have been working on a little logistical project while you were back in Cali for the basketball summer camps…"

Troy stood and pulled her into his arms. He furrowed his brow, "What project, my sweet, dangerously intelligent mate?"

Gabriella smirked at the husky alpha voice he'd taken with her. "One that will keep you from ever being that alone again."

Troy turned his head just slightly to the side and eyed her. "What do you mean?"

Gabriella smiled more sweetly, "We should go meet up at Shar and Zeke's like we planned. We have a surprise for you!" She ducked under his arms and swept off to the closet for relaxed summer clothes.


	12. Intensity

Completing Someone – Chapter 11 – Intensity

Troy was driving with his left hand. His right hand was smoothly rubbing the skin of his mate's thigh next to him. He loved the feel of her soft, smooth skin against his hand. Her soft purrs and gentle touches weren't bothering him either.

She was seated right next to him in the truck. The feel of his hair as she ran her fingers through it was so calming. She'd noticed as she'd climbed into the truck that she'd been almost desperate to feel his touch again. As he'd climbed in, she'd noticed that he reached for her immediately. He pulled her to his side and draped his hand over her thigh in a gentle confirmation of her proximity.

"So, what's going on at Shar's today?"

Gabriella grinned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Oh it's just the culmination of a little project I've been working on with our generation this summer."

Troy smiled sweetly as he looked over at her. "Took over for me, huh?"

Gabriella bit her lip, "Well in a manner of speaking. I think everyone was very ready to have you back though."

Troy squeezed her thigh. "I'm sure you did great, baby."

Gabriella shrugged, "Either way, you're slowly coming back to us and that's all that matters."

He nodded, "So, nice evasion on what I'm walking into here. What's the surprise, baby?"

She giggled, "Caught that did you? Damn, I've got to work on that." She eyed him for a moment, "We all emailed last year. After you pulled away from everyone, we decided that being this far apart was too difficult. We started trying to find solutions to our distance issues. We came up with some concessions and spent the summer making them realistic for the fall."

Troy stopped at a red light. He looked over at her, "Tell me you didn't create some kind of intercontinental walkie-talkie system."

Gabriella laughed, "Those already exist. They're called phones, honey."

Troy smiled, "Yeah, really? Damn, those didn't work well for us last year, did they?"

Gabriella stroked his face as he watched her. "No. They didn't."

He kissed her lips quickly before adhering to the green light's directions to move forward.

Gabriella took another breath. "I hope you don't get upset with us, but we've made some arrangements that can't be changed now."

Troy pulled up to Shar's place. "So, what should I be prepared for?"

Gabriella ran her fingertips along the skin of his face. "We'll explain inside. Everyone's here. Let's go in."

Troy didn't budge. He grasped Gabriella's hands, "Baby, I need a little help here. I'm, uh, a little distracted." He began tracing one finger along the back of Gabriella's hand. "You smell so…good."

She smiled at him sweetly and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "It will be fine. I promise."

He slipped one hand into her hair. "I need your mouth." He leaned forward and captured her lips in an incredibly sensual kiss. He reached forward with his other hand and pulled her onto his lap. Once repositioned, he brought both of his hands to her face. He pressed several kisses to her lips and groaned his approval. He lightly teased her lips with his tongue again as if saying, "You know you want to let me in…"

Gabriella jumped about ten feet into the air as Chad began knocking on the truck window.

Troy growled and glared at his best friend since grade school.

Chad laughed, "Aww, is our little alpha and his mate on a contact high? Get your ass inside, Captain!"

Troy huffed out a breath of disapproval, but knew he was going to lose as soon as his eyes glanced over her expression.

"We should go in."

He squeezed her ass, "Then tell me why I can't let go of you."

She giggled, "I don't want you to."

He smiled, "I can smell that, baby."

She her smile eased some as she looked into his eyes. The passion was now lying softly behind her compassion. "It's a pheromone thing. I'll explain it later."

Troy felt his dick throb as she began to move off of his lap. He gripped her hard enough to stop her without hurting her. Through gritted teeth he said, "What if I can't wait until later?"

She giggled, "We just had sex, Troy. It wasn't that long ago."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. I—I—" He pulled her closer. "I need you. I need you now."

She looked down into his eyes. His lavender had returned. His animal was craving her. She felt her own lust become very primal. "This isn't what I thought it was."

Troy gripped her body. "Mate…"

Gabriella felt herself purr a response. "Troy…" She moaned as he began to kiss down her neck through the valley between her breasts. She felt a chill of excitement as she heard him literally tear her shirt away to gain access to her body. "Troy…"

He couldn't fathom what it would take to stop him. He just rubbed his hand up the skin of her torso to her swelling nipples. "I NEED you," he moaned between kisses. "NOW," he growled.

Gabriella felt the thrill repeat as he demanded his need of her. "Take me," she said softly as he looked into her eyes.

Moments later, they lay half naked in the seat of his truck. Both were sweat covered and breathing heavily. "Oh my God…" She whispered. "You haven't fucked me like that since…I don't think you've ever fucked me like that."

He chuckled as he rubbed his nose against her skin. The smell of her, of their activities, was making him feel powerful, almost as if he were dominant and in control. It was a feeling he hadn't had in some time. He kissed her neck. "You say that as though it's a good thing. Did you like it?"

Gabriella let out a contented sigh. "Uh, yeah," she said through a smile.

Troy felt his heart swell at the sound of her voice. "This is awesome."

She laughed, "Why because everyone's inside?"

He shook his head, "The feel of you beneath me right now with the smell of sex in the air is what is awesome. You make me feel so fucking good."

She laid there and listened to him. She watched his face as he rose up to look down into her eyes.

"I've been fighting to regain some sense of control for months. The only time I didn't feel completely frustrated was when I was meditating. Even then, it wasn't really like I was in control. It was more like I just didn't feel anything. But, we fuck good and hard in the seat of my truck and I feel like I could take on the fucking world!"

She smiled at his vivaciousness.

He leaned down and traced his nose up her neck to her chin and just over her face. He brought his lips to hers. "Kiss me, Mate."

She got a shiver from his voice and the very obvious demand. The smile she tried to resist forced its way onto her face even as she knew her eyes were shining with intensity. "I love when you do that. Just demand like that. I mean there are times when I might hit you for it, but moments like this. I totally love it."

He smiled his cocky smile, "Then why haven't I gotten my kiss yet?"

She leaned up and kissed his lips.

He continued to kiss her as he led her head back to his seat. That was when he heard the footsteps that sounded like bombs going off. Someone was approaching them. He whipped up, pulling his pants up as he went. He flipped the blanket that covered the bench seat in the truck over Gabriella. Before the intruder got within 15 feet of his half naked mate, Troy was hovering in front of the truck door. When his mind finally captured reality, he shook his head at Chad who was staring back at him like an animal unsure of whether or not to move forward.

Before either boy broke focus on each other, they heard the passenger side door slam shut. They each turned expecting to find Gabriella approaching. Instead, they got a whiff of another Were that would come to mean trouble.

As Troy turned, Chad took his first step forward. As each male realized what was happening, they also realized they were a second too late. The car would speed off with Gabriella screaming in the backseat. Troy felt his blood freeze when his mind registered that Gabriella wasn't screaming. The voice he heard was his own. His mate had been taken literally from where he'd made love to her minutes ago. She'd either been hurt or drugged, because the only voice had been his scream.

The moment felt like hours, but he could still count the breaths between his lying next to her and now as he watched the car pull away a bit faster. He hadn't realized until he reached the intersection that he had transformed mid run and was chasing the evil car on all fours.

He howled loudly there in the middle of the street. His heart screamed out through his wolf shaped mouth. He could feel the response of nearly every animal in the vicinity, natural and Were alike. His pain was heard and his fury would be felt. Someone was going to pay a heavy price for this.


	13. Investigation

Completing Someone – Chapter 12 – Investigation

Troy heard animals far and wide rushing toward him. He'd called for the assistance of every being out of sheer emotional terror. Packs near and far were responding. He had been distraught and without thought as he'd instinctual reacted. Now, standing in fur amongst a growing crowd of Weres and strangely aware animals, he nipped at his father's sleeve.

Jack knew exactly what Troy wanted. Since the moment that Zeke had called, Jack had been fully aware of what Troy would need to do. It was what he'd needed to do since the day he'd met Gabriella. Search. He'd search for her until the day he died. Jack knew in his heart that should they be unable to recover Gabriella, Troy would die still looking for his mate.

Lucille felt her willpower draining. She was so emotionally spent. When they'd received the call from Zeke, Jack had just finished telling her what Charlie had expressed to him. She'd been a crying mess before she'd seen Jack's face solidify in his tell-tale expression of anger. It was one he wore whenever a pack member was in trouble. Now, she looked down at her only son as he sat next to the only other Were more comfortable in his fur than skin.

Ed sat in fur next to Troy. The boy wasn't thinking straight. He knew the pain of losing Gabriella intimately. He knew the fear of having his mate taken from him to some place he feared wouldn't find her. So, Ed sat alert ready to follow should Troy dart out of this gathering in search of the one human being in existence who could quell his pain.

Chad was agitated. Taylor was furious. Zeke sat with his head in his hands, while Sharpay ran her nails gently over his back. No one was speaking just yet. None of them could forgive themselves for not realizing the danger under their noses. They'd all tuned Troy and Gabriella out while they'd been intimate. Now, they knew it was exactly what whoever had done this was waiting for. Their annoyance with their alpha's mating had given the outsider an opening to swipe the only person Troy wouldn't fight the coming battle without.

Big D rushed into the scene and directly to Jack's side. From the moment he'd set foot to ground, people had begun clearing a path. The big man was mad and no one was willing to test him. He quickly scanned the area, spotting his child and his friends and pack. He glanced down at Lucille and saw pain and weariness. He looked over Jack and knew instantly that the pack needed an enforcer. "Listen up," his deep voice boomed, "Whatever Jack says goes. Anyone, this pack or not, gives him trouble, I'll be in your face immediately."

Jack felt his shoulders relax. D was right and for the first time in a long time, he was the force to back up Jack's words. It almost felt like when they'd been young. Chad and Troy had been exactly like them as children. Now, he could see the worry and strain that this whole situation was putting on the kids. He realized for nearly the millionth time why transformation didn't usually happen until adulthood. Jack glanced up at D, "Thanks, man."

D nodded and took a step back. He folded his arms and looked menacing.

Chad watched his dad step in and give the kind of back-up his friend needed. He was a little jealous. He wished he could back up his best friend so easily, but right now, it'd take way more than just hollering and crossing his arms be the kind of best friend that Troy needed. Right now, it meant he should have seen the danger coming and saved their beta. Gabriella had proven herself in her own right while Troy had been "away." Chad suddenly realized exactly how dependent they'd all become on the knowledge that one or the other would always direct the group.

Chad walked over to Troy. He sat down next to his best buddy. They met eyes briefly and Chad could see the hurt in Troy's wolf eyes. "We'll get her back, man." He reached up and scratched behind Troy's ears. He felt a small sense of normalcy as he did. So, he continued to scratch Troy's head. "We'll get her back…" he mumbled softly.

Taylor, Zeke, and Sharpay moved over to where Chad sat scratching Troy's furry ears. They all circled around the two boys. As Martha, Nate, Jason, and Kelsi came into the fray, they too joined their friends. Each pet Troy's head as they huddled together.

Lucille watched as her son was surrounded by the multitude of friends he acquired over the years. It made her tear filled eyes shine. That was when she saw the small device lying by the edge of the road. It was a cell phone. It was Gabriella's cell phone. She moved past a few people to get to it. She picked it up and looked it over. She smelled it to try and catch any scent of who might have grabbed her son's mate. The phone began to ring and Lucille jumped. She flipped it open to reveal a face she didn't know. When she answered it there was a rushed voice on the other line.

"Gabriella, where is he? We heard a call from a nearby pack! There is a howl that's been transmitted up the west coast. Something about a Were taken from where you are! Did someone take Troy?"

Lucille stood there stunned, a howl going up the west coast? Was that possible? Could the packs really be sending Troy's call on and on that far away?

"Hello? Gabriella?"

Lucille cleared her throat. "This is Lucille, Troy's mother. Who is this?"

"Oh God! They got them both?"

Lucille stood very still, "Who is this?"

"I'm sorry. Uh, I'm Jake. I'm the alpha of the pack Troy runs with when he's at school. He'd told me that he was concerned that someone was following him a while back. We'd never been able to spot anyone or anything, so we let it go. But, he had a gut feeling he couldn't get rid of. It was part of the reason he went back to New Mexico. He was really getting scared that someone might be trying the same with Gabriella." Jake let out a frustrated, deep throat growl. "I just knew something had happened when I heard the howl."

Lucille nodded, "They took Gabriella, Jake. Troy is here with us. He sent the howl before he knew what he was doing. Frankly, his father and I didn't know how far the howl had traveled. We had no idea it was being carried on across that kind of distance."

Jake sighed, "Out here we pass on any howl. There are a lot of Were's in California that are without their original packs and family, a lot of people on their own. We send these things around just in case."

Lucille nodded, "I'd let you speak to Troy, but he's—"

Jake cut her off, "No, I'm sure he's upset. He worried about her even when she was perfectly safe surrounded by pack and he was here with just me to look after him."

Lucille smiled. That certainly sounded like the son she'd raised. "Thank you for doing that for us, Jake."

"It was no problem. He's a great kid. He just got messed up by some foolish little…anyway, I'm on my way. Just do one thing for me?"

Lucille nodded, "Alright."

Jake stopped what he was doing and looked up. "Tell him to listen closely. He'll know what I mean."

Lucille felt her brow furrow. "Alright. I will."

Jake chuckled, "And tell him I'm on my way, human style."

Lucille chuckled too, "I will. Goodbye, Jake."

Jake hung up his phone without saying goodbye. He grabbed his bag and walked out of his apartment. He locked up and strapped his bag to his motorcycle. He swung a leg over and started it up. He walked it back, then took off for New Mexico.

* * *

><p>Troy sat still and focused on his father as Jack spoke to the entire gathering.<p>

"We need to know everything right now. I need animals paired with Weres whenever possible. The more noses we have on this the better." Jack took a breath. "I have contacted all the local authorities. We've been granted special permissions in the general vicinity to look for Gabriella. There are pictures circulating for everyone. There are also a couple of patches of cloth circulating with her scent." He looked down at his son who still refused to transition from fur to skin. "The girl we've all been called here to find is my son's mate, Gabriella. I imagine that many of you will understand the fear that can be felt at fear of losing a loved one. This is his worst fear. Please, help us find her quickly." With that, he motioned for the members of the pack to begin splitting the crowd into small groups to search specific areas.

The animals seemed to be just following one group or another. It was odd even to the Weres to see natural animals involving themselves in human activities. None the less, they were more than happy to have additional noses helping them. Most of the natural animals were foxes, wolves, dogs. They were animals that could easily move around the neighborhoods without drawing too much attention. Some were deer with large and small antlers. Jack recognized a deer that had to be the oldest deer he'd ever seen judging by the rack on his head. He realized that the leaders of even the natural animals were responding to his son now. He thought to himself, All God's creatures come when he calls.

Troy followed Chad as they traipsed through the edge of town searching for the right smell. He was growing more and more agitated as they put distance behind them. He wanted progress. He needed someone to fight.

After the gathering had begun to disperse, Jack had sat in front of Troy and told him what the police chief had been able to tell him thus far. The partial plate that Chad had been able to report to the first officers on the scene gave them a little bit of information, but not much. They were working on a picture from a local camera in a store, but they couldn't do much yet. The chief had told Jack that if they could find Gabriella's location to let him know and they'd go in together to keep everything legal.

Troy had huffed his disapproval when Jack had told him very sternly to wait for the officers to show up if he detected Gabriella's scent somewhere. However, Jack had refused to back down. "I don't want you two caught up in any legal entanglements. You have Chad call the chief directly and they'll be there quickly, Troy. And I highly doubt anyone is going to be upset if a local animal happens to naw on this bastard a bit before they are able to free him.

Troy had snapped his jaws fiercely causing his dad to chuckle. "No, Troy, you will have to let go and let the guy live."

Troy's wolf head had done a very distinctly human shake of disagreement before he'd trotted over to Chad's side in preparation of leaving to search for his lover.


	14. Questions

**Completing Someone – Chapter 13 – Questions**

Lucille sat at the house in utter frustration. She had made food, answered calls, and helped to direct people where to search next. She was losing any hope she'd had when they began. A full day and night had passed and they were now rapidly approaching another sunrise. She hadn't slept in about 24 hours now. She bit yet another nail down to the quick and sighed as she looked over the preparations she'd made for the animals to eat in the backyard. She was having no problems coping with the idea of hosting natural animals in the same capacity as she did the Weres helping from all over.

A young man stood in the front door way. He looked around the living room with his bag and motorcycle leathers still adorning his body from his trip. "Excuse me, could you point me to Lucille?"

One of the young women who'd been helping Lucille keep this base of operations going pointed to Lucille standing gazing out the window in the dining room. "She's right over there. Who are you?"

Jake gave the young girl a radiant smile, "Jake, just call me Jake."

The girl giggled and nodded, "Yeah, okay. I like your leathers, Jake."

He smirked, "Thanks." He ducked to the side and walked over to the raven haired woman that had described herself as Troy's mother. "Mrs. Bolton?"

Lucille broke from her train of thought and turned to yet another voice she didn't recognize. "Yes?" She saw the brilliant green eyes of a young rebel looking back at her.

"I'm Jake. We spoke on the phone yesterday."

Lucille nodded, "Yes, Jake. Has it really been long enough for you to get here from California?"

Jake smiled, "I never said I'd be going the speed limit."

She narrowed her eyes at the young, twenty-something man in her living room. "Yes, well, forgive my motherly mind for simply assuming."

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Jack strolled into the room and was caught off guard by the chemistry he noticed. He stopped, eyed the young wolf in his dining room, and had to restrain himself from jumping the kid. The slight smile on Lucille's face wasn't helping his mood either. "And who are you?"

Jake turned to the man whose voice had very clearly denoted that Jake was flirting with the wrong woman. His mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that this would be Troy's dad. "I'm Jake. I am Troy's alpha in California." Generally, Jake would hold out a hand to shake with a calm smile. Now, Jake stood about two full steps away from the older wolf and simply met his eye. They were measuring each other up. It was clear where this conversation would go if it continued on.

Lucille let out a breath, "Well as much as I'm sure the two of you would like to exchange notes on myself and our son, I think it might be prudent for you," she turned to Jake, "to go upstairs and get settled in one of the spare rooms. You'll find we are always prepared for visitors here." She turned back to Jack, "And you, my handsome husband, need a shower and a shave before you get a bit of sleep." She walked over to Jack and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She needed comfort.

Jack wrapped his arms around his wife, but didn't lose sight of the newest addition to their little collection of alphas. He didn't like the way the man was eyeing his wife. He wasn't comfortable with the amount of attraction he'd felt coming from either of them. He wondered for the first time in an extremely long time, if this was one of the few men who could have been his wife's mate if he'd met her first. He watched the man walk up the stairs of his home and wished beyond belief that he could throw the guy out. But, he knew the guy had done some good for Troy and that was the only reason he hadn't objected to his being here. Jack let out a breath and looked back into Lucille's beautiful green eyes. "Are you curious about him?"

Lucille smiled, "If I told you I wasn't somewhat attracted to the guy you'd know I was lying. But, Jack, you know that I am happy with our life. I don't regret what we have at all. Attraction is nice when things are scary, but it's not everything. It's certainly not love."

Jack frowned, "You aren't attracted to me anymore are you?"

Lucille fidgeted, "It's not that I'm not attracted to you. I am. It's just that we don't get many instances to really enjoy those attractive situations and new parts of ourselves often enough. I still get attracted to you at certain times, but I don't walk around in a state of barely veiled passion like a school girl anymore."

Jack felt something in his chest drop. He didn't know what to make of her answer. He didn't know what to do to change her mind either. "I need some sleep." He wished he could still make her eyes light up the way he had all those years ago. "Can I get a kiss?"

She smiled softly, "Yes." She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to his lips just like they'd done a million times before. She knew her answer had put a dent in his ego. She wished she could make him understand that he didn't have to make her feel like a school girl to keep her. She wished that he could see that sex wasn't everything they had. They had a life, a family, a pack. He was the definition of home to her. "I'll be up in a few minutes."

Jack nodded, "Okay." He turned and made his way up to their room, only stopping to answer a few short questions on his way.

Lucille checked in with Martha before she headed upstairs as well. As she walked up to the girls in the living room, she heard them giggling about the young man who'd just gone upstairs. Apparently every woman within sight of him had been a little smitten. She smiled to herself. Twenty plus years ago, she'd have been just like these girls. "Martha, I am going to get some rest while Jack is here. Could you take over for me, please?"

"Sure, Mrs. Bolton. No problem." Martha gave her a sweet smile.

Lucille turned to head upstairs. Once in her room, she was surprised to find Jack already in the shower. He'd left a note on the door to their bathroom. It said she was free to join him. She smiled and sat down on the side of the bed. She had been so overwhelmed emotionally that the idea of sex wasn't even there in her mind. She was tired and now that she was alone and it was quiet all she wanted was to solve some of their problems because carrying them around was weighing her down.

Jack emerged from their bathroom. He walked over to the bed where she was sitting. "So, didn't join me, huh?"

Lucille remembered his note, "No, I'm sorry sweetheart. I'm just so tired."

Jack nodded, "Tell me something."

She looked over to him as if telling him to continue.

"If we weren't a mated pair, would you still be here, Lucille?"

She smiled at him, "Yes. Don't get me wrong, a little adventure would be fun. I'd love to have a nice, safe vacation adventure with you. I'd love to solve some of our heavy burdens first, but right now. I suppose my issue isn't in needing anything except some rest. I have so many fears that seem to be becoming reality, Jack. I'm tired and I'm scared."

Jack smiled, "That's exactly when I need sex most. There's something very relaxing about it. Besides, the only time you really curl up on me is just after we've…you know."

Lucille laughed at his modesty. "Oh, you're shy now? Let's see, 25 years into marriage, now you decided modesty is your communication approach?" She continued to razz him until they lay down in their bed. Once they each settled in, she felt Jack pull her back to him and wrap his arms around her waist. She wondered just how badly he felt the need to claim her tonight.

* * *

><p>Chad looked over at Troy. "Dude, I need sleep."<p>

Troy growled.

Chad whined, "Man, you know I'd do anything for you and Gabs, but I can't freaking pick my foot up anymore. There's tons of people and animals out here. We need to take a break. You've got to be dying for some water, dude."

To make a point, Troy looked around, found a puddle and began lapping up a short drink. If he'd been able to speak, Chad would have known how bad it tasted, but it didn't matter. He wasn't going home until he could take Gabriella to bed with him. He looked back up at Chad as if to say, "Where to next?"

Chad groaned, "I am not drinking out of that."

Troy huffed his disapproval.

Chad whined again, "Come on, man. Give a guy a break."

Troy gave a grumbled growl, but turned back and started off in the direction of his childhood home. Chad didn't know it yet, but Troy wasn't going in for a break. He was going to find someone who would go back out with him and to get the most recent news.

Chad sighed, "Thanks, man. Seriously, I'll grab a drink and maybe some pizza and we'll come back out. You know, you should probably grab some clothes to take with you for when you find her."

Troy looked up at Chad. Sometimes his best friend had really useful ideas. Troy looked back down as he continued the route to his parents' house.


	15. Infusion

**Completing Someone – Chapter 14 – Infusion (of new blood)**

The door opened to the guest room and Jake strolled out. He turned at the head of the stairs and began moving down to where he heard the commotion coming from. He wasn't really thinking very thoroughly. He was reacting to the growling and loud voices he heard.

So, clad in nothing but gym shorts and socks, he quickly descended the stairs. He turned and whipped his lithe body into the fray. He got a hold of one wolf and ripped him backwards. He found himself joined by yet another alpha still in fur. They were the obstacle to the continued fight. As Jake's foggy mind cleared, he realized that Troy had a hold of one wolf and his dad, Jack, had hold of the other wolf. He also very quickly recognized that the other alpha next to him was not a wolf, but a Werecat, a panther to be exact.

Jake watched each wolf carefully to be sure the situation was cooling down. He didn't punish either wolf, because this wasn't his pack. None the less, he had no intentions of letting anyone get hurt.

Troy growled as he held Jason back. "What the HELL is going on HERE!"

Jason shifted and took the shorts handed to him by someone close to them. As he stepped into them, he kept a close eye on one of the newer additions to the pack, Marcus. "That bastard hit on my girl!"

Marcus shifted as well. He, however, stood fully erect and completely naked in front of everyone. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave a cocky smirk. "She's hot."

Kelsi was blushing at the side of the circle.

Troy glanced at her and then back to Jason, "Dude, she's not your mate. Maybe she is one of his possible mates."

Jason growled at Troy. "NO!"

Troy sighed heavily, "J, dude, you know it's possible."

Jason glared at Troy hard. "She's mine."

Troy looked over at Kelsi, "Kels?"

Kelsi had tears streaming down her face. "I—I—" she whispered, "I don't know." Martha and Taylor were now huddled around the smaller girl.

Troy gripped Jason's arm harder as he attempted to pull away to go to Kelsi. "No, she has to decide for herself."

Kelsi looked back and forth between Jason and the new guy.

Jason whined softly. Troy felt his heart pull. He knew the fear of seeing the woman he loved with another male. "She has to be free to make her own decision."

Suddenly the other male broke free from Jack's hold and darted toward Kelsi. He was attempting to sweep her up and carry her out of the house. However, Jake stepped forward and with his arms out blocked the younger wolf from rushing the smaller girl. "NO!" Jake planted his feet and took the brunt of the force. He flipped the wolf to his back and pinned him down in a matter of milliseconds.

Troy smirked. He'd seen Jake teaching the same move a dozen or so times. For that matter, he remembered Jake teaching the move to him. The move had saved his ass on more than one occasion when he'd been introduced to his temporary pack in California. Troy took one step in front of Jason to keep him blocked. If anyone had been looking, they would have seen that Troy was tracking Jason's movements the same way he would an opponent on the basketball court.

Jake swung the other wolf up roughly. "You don't ever rush a woman that way! Men present that possibility of a connection, but it's a woman's decision whether or not to allow it. NOT the other way around!" He pushed the young wolf toward the back door. Once in the backyard, Jake could be seen lecturing the young man before putting a hand on his shoulder like an older brother might when coaching his younger brother on women.

Troy watched it all with a slightly nostalgic look, underlined by a hint of alertness. When he heard Taylor's voice, his mind reconnected with the present though. He saw the pain on Kelsi's face and felt the crushing weight return to his chest. Gabriella would know how to fix Kelsi. She would know what to say. Troy closed his eyes and tried to sort the emotions that began swarming inside his body and mind. It was overwhelming him just like the emotions had overwhelmed him during the year. He felt like he was fighting for his life. He was growing more and more irritated. Then he realized just how quiet the world around him had become. He focused in on the faint sound that had caught his attention. The soft sound resounded again in his hearing. He heard it vaguely again, then again. Then, tap, tap, tap. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Tap, tap, tap. "Morris code."

Jack looked up, "What did you say?"

Troy met his father's eyes, "SHhhh…shut up." Troy had to give all of his attention to hear it. He was focused very intently on the hushed sounds. Tap, tap, tap. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Tap, tap, tap. Troy turned and walked out the back door. He started through the back yard, but quickly changed direction. He turned left.

Tap, tap, tap. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Tap, tap, tap.

Troy hopped the fence separating his backyard from the neighbor's yard.

Tap, tap, tap. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Tap, tap, tap.

Troy turned toward his left again. He hopped a few more fences and was now about a half mile from his childhood home. He closed his eyes again to focus in on the sound. It was growing fainter, but he knew he had to be getting closer.

Tip, tap, tip. Swish, swish, swish. Tip, tap, tip.

Troy started jogging in the direction of the sound. He was in the town park now. He was maybe a mile from his family home.

Tip, tip, tip. Swish, swish, swish. Tip, tip…

Troy felt his heartbeat begin to race. "No," he said to no one in particular. He was sprinting now. He stopped in front of a large oak tree in the back of the park. He had no idea where he should be going from here and he couldn't hear the sound anymore. Suddenly he heard the faintest cry. Then he heard more sounds.

Tip, tip, tip. Whimper. Swish, swish, swish. Whimper. Tip, tip, tip.

Troy turned to his left and saw an old aluminum shed that he assumed was where the maintenance staff kept some spare tools. When he peeled the door back, he found a stronger, sturdier shed beneath the surface. He grabbed hold of the pad lock yanked the entire lock and bar out of the wood of the door. He opened the door to find a small freezer in one corner. He yanked the padlock out of the contraption after a couple of tries. The freezer had been reinforced. He looked down into it as he lifted the lid. Gabriella laid inside having obviously been drugged and barely clinging to life. Troy met her eyes just as they closed. The last thing she'd seen before passing out was her mate saving her.

Troy picked her up softly and turned to carry her out. The shadow standing in the doorway startled him. He'd been so intent on finding the source of the sound and then on Gabriella that he had failed to pay attention to his surroundings. Now, the tall shape of a man had him cornered, with his frail mate in his hands. "Who are you?"

The course, grating laugh made Troy's skin crawl. "Most people want to know what I want first. You're different though, aren't you? From most people, that is."

Troy took a deep breath. "If you try to hurt us, you'll die trying."

The man shook his head, "Ain't gonna' _try_ nothing. Just gonna do what I came here ta do."

Troy never took his eyes from the man. "You won't survive this. You won't go to jail, because I'm going to kill you."

The man chuckled, "You and what army, son?"

From behind the man came a voice Troy had never been happier to hear. "This one, you rotted-flesh, waste of perfectly good Carbon," Jake's statement was made more poignant by the solid punch that landed on the guy's jaw as he finished speaking.

Troy tried to duck around the man and get Gabriella out of the shed before returning to fight along side Jake, the quick old bastard caught his foot on the way out. Troy tumbled to the ground with Gabriella's full weight pulling him down like a dead weight. He managed only to shield her head before he landed on her small frame.

As he landed, Troy had already begun kicking on the unsolicited hand obstructing his escape route. "Get off me, you old prick!"

Jake was attempting to peel the man's hand from Troy's flesh, but it was no use. Neither wolf could free Troy at the moment.

The old man flipped in some completely inhuman move. He twisted Troy's foot in an awkward direction in an attempt to break it. He failed, but it still hurt like hell. Troy winced as he tried to recollect Gabriella into his arms. His next kick landed squarely in the face of the old freak. Troy took the split second's worth of chance to pull his foot from the creepy man's fist. He shoved both feet against the ground and lifting Gabriella simultaneously, he launched his and her bodies' toward the opening of the doorway.

Just as Troy flipped over to look back in on Jake and the nastiest smelling creature he'd ever been near, he saw a brilliant flash of light and when it dissipated, Jake was gone.

* * *

><p>Lucille jumped and ran out the back door when she spotted them. The animals all parted to allow Troy to stroll through the massive group.<p>

Lucille ran directly to him, "Gabriella! Troy!" She wrapped her hands around Troy's neck with Gabriella still in his arms between them. "Is she…okay?"

Troy nodded. His arms were throbbing and threatening to cramp up on him. He was exhausted. "She's drugged and passed out, but safe, which is more than I can say for Jake."

Lucille looked into Troy's eyes. "What do you mean?"

Troy looked at her with confusion etched in his brow. "I don't know, mom. I don't know what the hell happened back there."


	16. Next

Completing Someone – Chapter 15 - Next

Troy stood just outside of his doorway. He'd pulled the door very nearly closed as he'd stepped into the hallway. Gabriella had been resting fitfully in their bed for several hours now. Troy had refused to leave her side while Jack had attempted to gain some information about how Troy had found her and what had happened to the other alpha. Troy had been frustrated with his father's relentless questions. He wasn't exactly worried about Jake. Jake was strong and smart. He could defend himself just fine by Troy's standards. Gabriella was where his concern lied now.

Troy looked up at Eduardo who had also refused to leave Gabriella's presence. The older man had helped Troy get her into bed. He'd sat in a rocking chair just inside the door to Troy and Gabriella's room since Troy had laid down next to her and begun trying to get some rest of his own.

Meanwhile, the search party downstairs had been split up into three shifts. Jack had arranged for their own pack to begin looking into the disturbing disappearance of Jake. Though, Jack still had reservations of his own about actually finding the younger wolf.

Now, Troy stood just outside of his and Gabriella's shared room, while Jack proceeded to fill him in on their efforts to find Jake. It almost felt to Troy as though his dad were trying to convince him that they were "really" trying to find Jake. Troy didn't have the energy or the remaining mental capacity to discern what it was about the situation that was bothering him quite so spectacularly, but he knew that his first loyalty had to be to the woman in his bed, the woman he loved. "Dad, I don't mean to cut you off, but Jake is a great, GREAT fighter. He'll be alright. And, frankly you all have been wolves longer than I have. You'll find him. I'm sure of it. But, dad, I need to get back in there to my mate. She's in pain, dad. I need to be with her."

Jack smiled and nodded, "Yes, you do. I just didn't want you to get cut out of the loop because Gabriella is home, son."

Troy nodded, "Dually noted. Now, can I go back to bed with my mate?"

Jack nodded. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Troy nodded and walked back into his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Kelsi stared down into her lyric book. She tried not to tap her foot as Taylor Swift's "A Story of Us" played in the background. Another tear dropped down to her page. She saw the words and couldn't stand what she was writing. The words blurred and she slammed the pages closed. "I don't want to do this to him." She whispered to her reflection. "Why does it have to be this way?"<p>

* * *

><p>Chad walked up to Marcus. "Hey, dude. What's up?"<p>

Marcus just looked at him, "Nobody says 'hey, dude' anymore."

Chad laughed, "Yeah, I've heard you say that before. Here's the thing. Jason is older than you and frankly we ALL like him a hell of a lot better than you, man. So, keep your damn paws off his girl. Got it, punk?"

Marcus rolled his eyes and went back to strapping the saddle onto the horse in front of him. If the horse hadn't been cooperating, there was no way Marcus would have been able to do this in the Boltons' backyard. "Fuck you. I'll go after whoever I want."

Chad leaned up closer to Marcus. He made sure that he could see the hair on the kid's arm stand up in alarm. In a quieter, but very strained voice he said, "Every wolf you know can kill you. Look around, Marcus. How many times do you think you can get lucky before one of us wins?"

Marcus pulled back a step before looking Chad in the eye. He finally shook his head and looked away. "Man, you don't get it. I couldn't stop myself. I've been hot for a chick before, but dude I wanted to take that fucking house out, dude. I mean I wanted to annihilate every male who could see her. This has to be a wolf thing. I don't even know her. I didn't know her fucking name until Troy said it. All I knew was that I wanted her. I mean like, deep down, bro."

Chad leaned back and shook his head. "Damn it!" He swore softly to himself. "And this has never happened to you before, ever? Not even at a pack meeting?"

Marcus shook his head like a five year old looking for someone to teach him how to tie his shoe.

Chad swore under his breath. "Fuck. So, what you're feeling is this intense reaction we get to a potential mate. Every wolf has at least a few people they can possibly mate with. I've never actually seen a human as a mate, but I guess it would make sense with her being around all the time. Anyway, what your body is doing is normal. You just have to decide if she's actually the woman you want to be with forever, dude. Then you go to the alpha, in our case Jack, and you go through a ritual and you're a mated pair like Troy and Gabriella."

Marcus shivered, "I'm not trying to get married, bro! I'm just sayin' it was fucking intense. I didn't actually mean to piss J off."

Chad shook his head, "Doesn't really matter now. You've basically stolen his girlfriend."

* * *

><p>Troy cuddled up to Gabriella just a smidgeon tighter. "Sweetheart? You awake?"<p>

Gabriella moaned softly.

Troy smiled as his lips pressed a kiss to the skin of her neck. "I love you, baby."

Gabriella nodded and tried to roll over farther to get more rest.

Troy grinned, "Honey?"

Gabriella turned a half turn, "What do you want?"

Troy recognized the tone, but his own experiences told him that no matter how gruff she got, she didn't really want him to go away. "Think about it, Gabs. We've been back together for what a week or two? Me saying 'I love you' is pretty big, don't you think?"

Gabriella rolled to face him. Her face held an expression that clearly showed an amazing amount of incredulity. "Troy, I've been kidnapped and left to die. I almost did!"

Troy rubbed his hands over her arms. "No, you didn't. I got to you, baby. I got to you, and Jake and I got you the hell out of there!"

Gabriella shook her head, "And where is Jake now? Why aren't you out there looking for him?"

Troy shook his head, "You need me right now."

Gabriella's eyes bored into his. "No. What I need right now is a chance to sleep off whatever that son of a bitch gave me! What I need is to get strong enough to beat the hell out of that bastard after you all find the freak who did this to me!" Gabriella pointed down to a laceration on her left arm. "You need to go and find him, so I can kill him for touching me!"

Troy looked down at her body. "Gabriella, where did these clothes come from? You were naked in the seat of the truck."

Gabriella crossed her arms over her chest as her hands gripped her upper arms in a white-knuckled kind of way. "He made me put them on."

Troy felt a cold, violent shiver rush through his body. His chest now felt like a chasm of empty space. "Made you? How?"

Gabriella was shivering beyond her control now. The hairs on her body were standing straight up. She held her eye contact with Troy when she said, "At knife point." She held up her left arm so that he could see the long, moderately deep slice he'd made to prove his point.

Troy felt his lip twitch. His adrenaline was boiling over. He needed to leave the room before his fury hurt her. He looked down into her eyes. "You won't have to kill him. I will," he said in a very deep, disconcerting voice. His eyes had changed to a deep purple.

Gabriella shook her head, "Oh no. He knows things. He has information and I want every last word of it before I end his existence."

Troy looked at her, "According to pack laws, both here and California, as your mate I have every right to eliminate him."

Gabriella shook her head, "Troy, don't lose your head. Just find the bastard. Find Jake, too."

Troy watched as some of the fire left her eyes. "He didn't break you, did he?"

Gabriella smirked, "It takes more than an afternoon to break my spirit. All he did was get me into the game."

Troy smiled. That was when he realized the difference between how strong he was emotionally and how incredible his mate was. "You want him. You'll have him, my love."

Gabriella smiled. "Thank you."

Troy watched her as she drifted off to sleep. He had made her a promise. In fact, he'd made her several promises. He felt in his chest that he'd broken too many of them over the past year. Now it was time to help her. He whispered in her ear. "I love you, my beautiful mate."

Gabriella began to softly purr in her sleep.

* * *

><p>Jack sat in his chair with another cup of coffee. He would have given a lot for it to be a normal Sunday morning with his regular mug and the paper. Instead, he had a house full of tired and weary Weres. He had a yard full of tired natural animals. He also had his son upstairs safe and sound with Troy's mate. Now, if only he could find that damn pesky wolf who had been hitting on Lucille.<p>

Jack chuckled to himself about the irony of looking for a guy who he secretly still wanted gone. It had been years since he'd been jealous over his mate. Nearly everyone within a 50 mile radius knew him and his family. No one would be so bold as to come on to Mrs. Bolton.

Jack sighed, "Somebody's gotta find this kid." He put his coffee mug down and started getting up from the table. He glanced up and found his son watching him from the doorway that led into the kitchen. "Something funny?"

Troy shook his head. "While I was away this summer, I kept remembering you sitting there with your coffee every morning. Then Jake took this picture of me on his phone one morning…let's just say some things run in the family."

Jack smiled at him knowing. "My dad used to do it too, except he would use his spoon to dribble the coffee. I'll have to show you some time. It's tough to describe, but it's one of those things you never forget, you know?"

Troy nodded, "Any news from the night party?"

Jack shook his head. "Big D, Marcus, Chad, and Zeke went over the place with a fine tooth comb. They didn't find much. We're pretty certain that the shed was just a layover station."

Troy sighed, "Just so you know, Gabriella wants to tear this guy a part finger by bloody finger. She strictly instructed me to find him, not kill him."

Jack raised his eyebrows, "And if we have no choice?"

Troy shrugged, "She'd be pissed if he hurt anyone else too. I say kill the bastard, but I'm bound to at least try to give my mate what she wants."

Jack nodded, "Ah, the old rock and the hard place."

Troy nodded, but didn't say a word.

Jack smiled, "We'll take care of it. Whatever happens."

Troy stood back up at full height from where he'd been leaning on the frame of the doorway. "Thanks, dad."

Jack smiled at the easy gesture that meant so much to him. "No problem, kid."

Troy turned and jogged back up the stairs with some food and a thermos for him and his mate. Jack looked around the house and realized how full his family home had really become over the last few years. First Eduardo had come to stay in the apartment out back. Then Gabriella had moved in with Troy. Now, Jake was "staying" in their guest room. As much as Jack was on edge with the man, Troy certainly seemed in ah of him. Troy may have grown up an only child, but he looked at Jake almost the way a little brother did. He saw him as indestructible and wise. Jack smiled to himself. He liked the idea of Jake being Troy's older brother, because that way he was still a kid.

* * *

><p>Jake hobbled down the side street. He kept looking back behind him. He had no idea what that guy had been. He didn't know if he could pop in at will or if he even knew where he was now. Jake just kept hobbling.<p>

His left leg was killing him. It was broken and barely managed to hold any weight at all without snapping the rest of the way. He had a concussion. He could feel blood running down his right arm. He was a mess. He hadn't walked away from a fight this badly injured since he was 22 and learning his way around women.

Jake heard a sound. He looked forward then backward. He kept walking. It was daylight now. He could hear the cars speeding along on the highway overhead. He could see their shadows zip past as though they too had essential meetings to attend in parking lots free from the eyes of their owners.

No one was nearby, but Nate could smell someone now. He was tensing up. He couldn't feel his left foot anymore. He was sure if he tried to sit down, he'd never get back up. He wouldn't survive another battle on his own with that guy.

He heard whispers, but still saw no one. He was getting down right scared. They say an animal knows when it's time to die. They say that an animal will crawl up into a dark space and simply let his body pass. Jake was badly wounded. Left to his own vices he might not even recover as it was, but one more battle with whatever that guy was and Jake was sure he'd need a dark, quiet corner.

That was when a familiar smell rushed his senses and he looked over to the entrance of the overpass.

"JAKE!"

Jake sighed heavily and let his body fall to the ground, "Lucille, help me. Please?"

Lucille leaned back, "I FOUND HIM! OVER HERE! I FOUND HIM!" She rushed into the dark space, "Jake, talk to me. What's going on? How did you get away?"

Jake felt her hand rest on his shoulder. "So tired."

Lucille gasped at the state his body was in. She pulled out her cell phone and called an ambulance.

The last thing Jake remembered was the sound of Lucille calling for an ambulance and the smell of a woman he needed to find.


	17. Normal

Completing Someone – Chapter 16 – Normal

Troy snuggled closer to her soft skin. He nuzzled his nose against her side. He let his tongue dip out and lightly trace her ticklish spot. He pulled back and let her giggles subside slightly before he shifted back into his own human skin next to her. Now he could use his fingers to get her skin as available as his was. He smiled back at her shining eyes, "Come to me, my love."

She ducked her head beneath the covers. "Don't you mean, cum for me."

Troy ducked under the covers and began stalking her. "Oh, you'll be doing that soon, baby, very soon." He quietly slid between the blankets.

Gabriella could feel the excitement building in her abdomen. She wanted to be caught. She slipped around and kept just out of his grasp. She slid out of the covers and padded her way across the floor. Just as she thought she might make the bathroom door, Troy grabbed her around the waist, "MMMmmm…this wasn't fair. Would you like me to actually chase you, Gabriella?"

She giggled and nodded her head.

Troy grinned and groaned, "The thought of tearing through the woods following your scent makes me very, very interested. Once we get back to California, I know exactly what forest I want to chase you through."

Gabriella chuckled and wiggled against him, "Troy…"

Troy leaned down and latched his lips onto her neck.

Gabriella rolled her eyes to herself. She knew what he was doing. He was marking his territory. He'd leave a hickey that marked her as taken. It wasn't that people didn't already know who she was mated to. It was simply a visible reminder.

Troy nibbled his way up her neck and felt her shivers in response. He whispered into her ear, "Bend over for me…please?"

Gabriella took a second to decide, but ultimately she put her hands against the wall and wiggled her ass in front of him.

Troy laughed huskily, "Condom or not, baby?"

Gabriella looked back at him, "Definitely condom."

Troy nodded and ripped open a special foil packet. He rolled the sheath down his erection before he grasped her hips and slipped himself inside of his favorite pussy in the whole world. He moaned his appreciation as he slowly eased his way inside her. "You feel sooo good," he moaned as he moved inside her body.

Gabriella could only whimper in response. For some reason today sex felt truly unfathomable. Maybe it was that they'd been apart so much of this year. Maybe it was that she'd been kidnapped. Or, maybe it was simply because she was going back into heat. All she knew for sure was that Troy's dick inside her made her want to climb the walls. "Harder, baby."

Troy made his strokes slam into her. He loved when she made some request. It was like a guaranteed way to know he was doing what she wanted and touching her in the way that was going to do it for her. He slammed into her once more. Softly he whispered, "So fucking good…"

Gabriella felt herself rising toward that cliff of pure bliss. She was pushing backward toward her lover as he forcefully crashed into her body. "Just a little bit faster. Oh god, Troy, give me just a little bit more, baby."

Troy did as requested and let one hand slide along her smooth, taut belly up to her firm, sweet breasts. He slipped his fingers on either side of one nipple and squeezed. That sweet little use of her nipple was sending her over the edge and through the throws of orgasm. He smacked her ass, spanking her for being so hot and naughty for him. He spanked her and felt her body roll and cum all around his dick. That was enough to feel his own body spasming as he released a good size load into her sweet, soft, silky pussy.

* * *

><p>Jake rested heavily sedated in a hospital bed. Jack stood at the end of the bed looking down at the younger man. He'd done some research on their visitor in the few hours they'd been at the hospital. He and Lucille had taken the first watch. Lucille had said that Jake had been acting as though he expected trouble to pop up out of nowhere when she walked up. That led Jack to believe, their newest headache of a villain was likely to make a menace of himself yet again.<p>

Once Jake had been settled in the ER and they'd gone about admitting him, Jack had sent everyone home. The pack had been on alert for days now. It had been one emotional, high strung situation after the other and the intensity had begun to wear on everyone involved.

Jack sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair with his laptop spread out on his lap. He was still searching for information that would make their newest alpha more real to him. He'd already ascertained that Jake was 38, once-mated, former military with degrees in everything from engineering to psychology.

Jack chuckled to himself when he considered that the man had been living between two major college towns for at least a couple of decades now. It made sense that he would utilize conventional education to get the knowledge he felt he needed, because the only other piece of information he could find on the younger man was that his family was deceased…all of it. Jake was the last remaining member of a pack that had been slaughtered. He was a young alpha on his own.

* * *

><p>Troy rolled over and through his groggy state of mind realized that his mate was no longer with him. He panicked for a split second before his hearing told him she was merely in their bathroom cleaning herself. He sighed out a breath of relief and got up to join her. He quietly opened the door and peeled his clothing away. He stepped up to the curtain and said, "Hey baby, do you mind if I join you?"<p>

The male voice that answered him freaked Troy out and had him grabbing for a towel and growling instantaneously. "I'd rather you didn't."

In his deep, husky alpha tone of voice, Troy responded, "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SPACE, MARCUS!"

"Ah, come on, man. It was the only open shower in the house," he whined.

Troy growled and let his voice drop just a little deeper, "GO."

Marcus felt chills drip down his back. He grabbed a towel and dipped his head down as he passed by his alpha. He didn't say he was sorry. He didn't say anything. He was certain if he spoke, Troy might kill him. Just as he was stepping out of the shower, Gabriella came back into her and Troy's room. Marcus stopped and looked back and forth between Troy and Gabriella. He was massively embarrassed, but the look on Troy's face made him dart out the door anyway.

Troy felt his teeth grinding as he tried to calm himself.

Gabriella chuckled and walked over to her towel covered alpha. "Aw, Marcus snuck in and you thought he was me?"

Troy looked down at her with dangerous eyes.

Gabriella tried to swallow her laughter, but the smile was still spreading across her face. She met his eyes again.

Troy rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I have every right to be pissed off at him. This is my territory. This is our space. No one is ever supposed to cross that doorway without my express permission except you." He was clearly frustrated, but the tone in his voice was beginning to give way to the hilariousness of the situation.

Gabriella smiled defiantly as she began to slowly stalk over toward Troy, "I love when you get all powerful alpha. It's hot as hell to see you so…dominate."

Troy smiled down at her. "Oh, really?"

She just bit her lip and smiled seductively.

Troy grabbed her waist as she wandered up to him. "Then maybe what you need is a little bit of your alpha in control."

Gabriella realized in her mind that it had been too long since Troy had truly exerted any control over her. That had been what they'd been missing since they'd been back together. She continued to bite her lower lip as she nodded her head yes. "Please, alpha, please…"

Troy felt her begging stir something inside him. He grinned down at her supple lips and flitting eyes with intensity he hadn't felt in a long time. "You need to understand something, Gabriella."

She grinned, "What's that, my alpha?"

Troy's smile widened, "You're mine."

Gabriella grinned widely and felt something in her chest ease. "Are you sure you want me to be yours? I'm sure there are plenty of others who would—"

Troy pressed a deep, intense, hard kiss to her lips. He didn't pull back and wait for her to accept him. Using one hand, he tilted her head back and pushed his tongue into her mouth. Had she not wanted it, this would have been uncomfortable for both of them. Troy realized in the back of his mind that it only felt this good, because she was kissing him back with every bit as much need as he was kissing her with. They both needed the incredible intensity that they were showing one another.

Gabriella got her arms around Troy's neck and maneuvered herself so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. Once nicely positioned, she let her boyfriend press her up against the wall. He angled himself so that Gabriella could slip down over his manhood in a matter of a split second. He had pushed her clothing around and out of the way.

Troy thrust himself up and into her body. He had no desire for foreplay. He wanted her and he wanted her to understand that in a lover's way, she belonged to him. They were mates. She wasn't just his girlfriend, or some human version of a mate. She was his lifelong, one-and-only, kill-him-if-she-ever-died, forever mate. She belonged to him, and he to her. He needed to feel that right that moment. And, once he was physically cresting that orgasmic rise, he did feel that possessive, ultimately passionate, and compassionate feeling that resounded throughout his being. When he felt her body convulsing with pleasure, he knew she felt it too.

Gabriella grinned and dropped her head down onto his shoulder. "Troy, the way you make love to me is flat out intoxicating. Fuck!" She laughed as she leaned against him. As she leaned back up to look at him, he smiled back at her. "I love you so much, baby."

Troy smiled and held her eye contact. "I love you too, sweetheart. You're in heat again, aren't you?"

Gabriella pressed a soft kiss to his lips. They lingered in the gentle kiss for a few moments. Then Troy let her legs drop down and they stepped into the shower together to clean up.

* * *

><p>Lucille was exhausted. They'd left Big D and Mrs. Danforth at the hospital to look over their newest pack member. She felt every one of her 47 years as she dropped her purse just inside the doorway and began trudging up the stairs toward a warm shower and some much needed sleep. The call of her warm bed complete with her warm mate to cuddle up to was powerful tonight.<p>

Just before she and Jack actually made it into their bedroom, they heard Troy and Gabriella in their bathroom laughing and joking with one another. Lucille realized that the younger couple had spent their entire day cooped up in the small suite with only one another. She smiled at the sounds she heard coming from the space.

There'd been a time a month or so ago, when she'd feared that Troy and Gabriella's lives might have become irreparably split and that her two children would be doomed to live lives of quiet desperation, never able to be with the one they needed and never able to love the ones they'd end up with. Now, as the sounds of a loving couple escaped the relatively isolated territory that belonged to her son, she knew his happiness was once again secure. She let out a breath of relief and let Jack lead her to their own relatively isolated territory.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, Jack had woken Troy and asked that he and Gabriella go to watch over Jake. Big D had called and told Jack that he and his wife needed to head to work and would need someone to take over. Being that the universities hadn't started back up yet, Jack asked his son and his mate to take over. Once Troy had agreed, Jack had finished getting ready for his first day back at school as well.<p>

Now, as Jack left for East High, Troy and Gabriella were leaving for the hospital. They waved goodbye and gave quick hugs before getting in different vehicles and leaving for the day. Unbeknownst to them, Lucille stood watching from her upstairs window. The almost routine nature of the interaction between father and son and Gabriella left Lucille with a tear in her eye. Her family was safe again. Her son was happy and so was the beautiful woman he'd taken as his mate. Her husband was off to a normal day of work with the next generation of their town. It was quaint and comfortable and everything the previous weeks had not been.


	18. Mates

Completing Someone – Chapter 17 – Mates

Jason growled at Marcus again. He hated the younger wolf being here. These were his friends. He didn't want the bastard who had stolen Kelsi from him hanging around their group. He just wanted to be here with his friends and not think about the heartbreak he'd been walking around with for two weeks.

Marcus rolled his eyes and went back inside. He took one look at Kelsi and felt his insides melt. He was annoyed with everyone there, except her. Chad had told him that she might not be the only possible mate he had, but when Marcus was near her, he couldn't imagine any other woman having this effect on him.

Kelsi smiled shyly at Marcus. She'd brought him with her to their little generation only meeting because she wanted everyone to get used to him. If she was going to be with this guy forever, she wanted her friends to like him too. She hated what this all seemed to be doing to Jason. She felt overwhelming guilt when she saw his pain in his eyes. Still, they'd each said that they weren't a mated pair. Everyone had known it was possible one of them would mate with someone else.

Chad stood awkwardly in the kitchen with Kelsi and Marcus just staring at one another. He grumbled something about mating with losers and went outside to hang with his buddy, Jason. Taylor let out a sigh and tried to get Kelsi's attention again. "Come back to Earth, Kels. We need to talk about this before Troy and Gabriella get here. Come on, girl."

Kelsi turned as though she'd only just realized Taylor was there and that she hadn't been carrying on a conversation with her before Marcus had entered the room. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Taylor."

Taylor gave her a half smile. "I get it. Been there. Still, about Chad and Troy's dorm room, I think I have it arranged, but I'm not sure. I could use some help getting a confirmation if you don't mind?"

Kelsi smiled, "No problem. I'll just call my cousin in res life."

Taylor nodded, "Thanks."

Kelsi pulled out her cell phone and dialed. She got confirmation that Troy was listed as rooming, not with Chad, but next door to Chad.

Taylor grinned and nodded, "I don't honestly know how I'm going to live with his sloppy self later on in life."

Kelsi laughed, "Well, I guess mating doesn't take away all the troubles that a relationship can create, huh?"

Taylor nodded and laughed lightly. There was a momentary silence before Taylor said, "How's things for you two?"

Kelsi sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. I mean I feel soo much for him, but he doesn't fit in with the group and I can't stand seeing Jason so heartbroken. I wish he could find his mate. I wish he could be happy again. I hate seeing him this way."

Taylor touched her shoulder, "That's only because you're such a caring person, Kels. This will all blow over. It just takes time for things to change, sweetie."

Kelsi nodded, "Thanks for listening. I know everybody's a little weirded out about all of this."

Taylor smiled, "Anytime, Kels, anytime."

Right about that time, Troy and Gabriella strolled into the Evans' house. "Hey everyone! We're here!"

Troy laughed as Gabriella received hugs and cuddles from their generation of pack. She was being welcomed home in a way that only Weres could do with one another. The nuzzling and the hugs and cuddles were something they reserved solely for pack. "Alright, alright, give me my mate back! Back off of my girl!" He laughed as he shouted.

Gabriella made her way back into his arms. "So, I know you think this is all about me, but actually we have something to tell you."

Troy looked at her with a furrowed brow. "What?"

Chad piped up, "I transferred, dude. So did, J."

Taylor snuggled into Chad's side. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, she said, "And I transferred with Kelsi to Stanford to be with Gabs."

Sharpay took over the conversation by saying, "Zeke and I are still here in Albuquerque holding down the fort. I'm running daddy's new theatre and Zeke has opened a restaurant here!"

Troy looked around the room and couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Gabriella and then back to the group. "You all did this for me?"

Chad laughed, "Dude, you're the alpha." Everybody laughed, "Besides, I couldn't let you hang out there by yourself again. It's clear you need your team with you, man!"

Troy laughed and bumped fists with Chad. "Awesome!"

Gabriella smiled at him, "So, you like it?"

Troy grinned and leaned in bumping his forehead against hers, "I love it. Is this what you were getting at before all the chaos happened?"

Gabriella nodded and bit her lip. "I didn't want you to feel like I was suffocating you, but it just really seemed like we need our pack with us. I know it's different than the way it's always been for other generations, but we've all seen battle. We're a pack regardless of our age."

Troy smiled and kissed her lips. "I couldn't have said it better." He turned back to the group, "Sounds like we're gonna have some serious fun this year in the dorms!"

Jason and Chad whooped and the rest of them laughed it up.

* * *

><p>Jake woke up very slowly. He knew that he was sedated. He could feel that pull of the drugs to lure him back to sleep. Still, he needed to see if he could still catch the scent. He breathed in through his nose, only to get a burning sensation when his nose was filed with oxygen from the mask. He groaned and pulled at the plastic covering the majority of his face. He felt the soft touch of a woman. Once the mask was removed, he looked up at her through hazy eyes. She was pretty, probably a doctor and very in command. However, her scent was all wrong. She had on Chanel no. 5 and entirely too much of it. Jake wrinkled his nose and turned his face away from her.<p>

The woman laughed softly. "Did you get a whiff from under my arm?"

Jake wanted to blurt out she wasn't who he wanted, but his voice wasn't working for him. He managed to point to the cup of water on his bedside tray.

She put a straw in the cup and allowed him to drink from it. She held it, but gave him only a second or two to sip before drawing it away again.

Jake was growing more frustrated with the woman as she tapped her expensive shoes on the floor waiting for him to drink the few drops he'd gotten. He felt like a camel. He thought he could drink a lake's worth of cool water right now and here she was being impatient with him for a small sip. He looked over at her without any guard on his expression. Usually, he would charm a woman like her and have her eating out of his hand before she turned around. Tonight, he just wasn't willing to search for the extolment she might give him.

"I said, how are you feeling, sir?"

Jake shook his head gently and felt his brain rattle in his head painfully. "W-wh-at," he managed to croak out, only finding his voice at the end.

She sighed heavily, "I realize that you're an incredibly good looking man who is used to women fawning at the sight of you, but I need you to pay attention here, not be cute."

Jake turned his head and looked directly at her. He wanted to say, "Do you realize you're pissing off an alpha werewolf?" But he didn't. This was the kind of woman who would lock him away in a padded cell and strap his ass down with nothing but a feeding tube and sedatives to eat for the rest of his life. So, instead he said, "Ma'am, I have a PhD in psychology and another in sociology. I assure you, I'm not being _cute._"

The doctor stood straighter. "So, you're not a real doctor."

Jake closed his eyes. He had no patience left with her.

She cleared her throat. "Well then, I would assume you'd understand why I need you to tell me a few things, such as your name and home address, and of course the date?"

Jake kept his eyes closed. "August 1st, 2011, Jacob Mayler Reynolds, 1212 Katie Way, Palo Alto, California." He opened his eyes and with a small smile said, "Now, let's see if you can guess where I got those PhDs from?"

The woman rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you'll forgive me, Dr. Reynolds, if I go on with my duties as you attending." Her lips were stretched thin. It was obvious from her tone of voice that she was not at all happy about Jake's credentials.

He smiled a little more readily and leaned his head back against the pillow behind his head.

* * *

><p>Troy sat comfortably with his mate on his lap as his friends laughed and talked about the things they'd done while he'd been away. The news of the generation returning together had quickly moved them back into conversations like old times. Troy smiled at the interaction. This had been something he'd missed. He and Chad were cutting up like nothing had ever gone wrong. It was exactly what he'd needed.<p>

Marcus was in the corner of the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. Troy felt bad for Kelsi. She didn't want this relationship, but she felt that same intense reaction Marcus that Troy had felt for Gabriella early on. He thought back about their dash from the lunchroom before they transitioned, before they knew they were Weres, before all of the chaos in their lives. She'd sat on his lap that evening in his parents' house just the same way she was sitting on his lap now. Troy looked up at her. He stroked her hair from her face. He smiled when her jovial eyes met his. It had been too long since he'd seen her laugh like this. He hadn't realized how badly he'd missed seeing her happy and relatively carefree. He realized in that moment that he'd taken for granted all the safety his dad had provided this pack. They'd fought off angels and demons and still his dad had enough stability in his pack that they could laugh and joke and have fun. He suddenly felt like he had a lot left to learn.

Gabriella looked down at Troy. He'd been laughing with everyone else and then his mind just seemed to wander. He wasn't upset, just somewhere else. She leaned back against him and curled up as close as she could get. "Where are you?"

Troy looked over at her as best he could. "Nowhere, just thinking."

Gabriella kissed his collar bone. "You were here with us and then you just seemed to disappear."

He smiled easily. "I was just thinking about dad and how good it feels for all of us to be able to have these moments. About how much I missed seeing you smile like this." He kissed her head and wrapped his arms around her lightly.

Gabriella smile and nuzzled him. She purposefully purred against his ear.

Troy smiled wider. "Love you, mate," he said in a husky tone.

"Love you too," she purred.

* * *

><p>Jake tried to turn, but he couldn't. He was frustrated. He'd had broken, bruised, battered ribs before, but it was never like this. They had run another set of x-rays on him and found that there were several fractures that were still healing. However, there were two rib bones that had broken in both the front and the back and that was what was causing his excessive pain.<p>

Jake smelled someone enter the room. He looked up and saw the sweet, young night nurse enter. She wasn't a 10 by any stretch of the means, but Jake wouldn't kick her out of his bed if she wanted to join him. He smiled, "Back to check on your favorite invalid, Nurse?"

She chuckled at his charm. "I'm just here to check your BP and heart rate."

He smiled wider, "And here I was hoping you were going to stroke me to see if I responded."

She looked at him wide-eyed, but obviously not offended. "Dr. Reynolds!"

Jake laughed, "Oh god, I'm not old. Call me Jake."

She grinned girlishly. "Okay, Jake. You can call me, Juanita."

Jake flashed his eyebrows, "It's always lovely to learn a beautiful woman's name. It's very nice to meet you, Juanita."

A few hours later, Jake rolled back to his good side. He was in monumental pain now, but he had certainly released some pent up sexual tension. All and all, he'd considered Juanita to be worth the extra pain. He'd been disappointed to see that she'd been hoping for more than a short night in his bed, but that's how it went when you played hook up with a man you'd just met.

Jake relaxed against the pillow supporting him. He had just closed his eyes when something familiar graced his nose. He stopped moving and tried to identify it. He couldn't put his finger on it. He thought about his conversation with Troy the day before.

_I don't know. It just feels like I'm looking for something and I can't put my finger on it, you know? It's like it's right there on the tip of my tongue and I just can't remember._

_Troy looked over at Gabriella. "So, you think he's trying to remember something from just before he passed out? Something important?"_

_Gabriella nodded, "Yeah. It's not uncommon for people who've suffered from traumatic injuries to forget details surrounding it until their mind is ready to deal with it."_

_Jake nodded, "Transient partial amnesia, it makes sense."_

_Troy had just looked back and forth between the two more important people in his life._

_Jake turned to Troy, "You gotta help me find out what I'm looking for. You've got to help me find her, man."_

_Troy had nodded, "I will. I promise. Just as soon as you can tell me who I'm looking for, I'll track her down."_

Jake looked over at the woman who'd just entered his room. This was her. It had to be. Every warning bell inside of him was going off. He need to get closer to her to get a better whiff of her scent.

The woman approached his bed in a manner that suggested she thought he was sleeping. He opened his eyes and reached for her. When she was close enough, he wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her closer. It hurt like hell, but he needed her. He traced his nose up her arm as he breathed in. He continued pulling her to him. He stopped when he looked up and saw the look on her face. He pulled back and looked at her, "I'm sorry. Oh God, I'm so sorry." He looked at her and then away, "You just, uh, smell like my, uh, girlfriend is all. I apologize."

The woman narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "You're lying." She turned and put her hand on the door handle, but stopped when he spoke.

"What makes you say that?"

She felt her throat go dry. She felt the chills that sprinted down her back at the sound of his voice. She refused to allow him to see what he did to her though. She took a deep breath and looked back at him. "Does it really matter?"

Jake was intrigued. "Yes, actually it does."

She glared at him, "Men like you are the reason I'm still single. Men in relationships who go too far flirting with beautiful younger women. You make me sick."

Jake laughed, "I thought you said I was lying?"

She smirked, "About being sorry."

Jake laughed, but grabbed his side as he did. "I was lying, but it wasn't about being sorry."

The doctor just looked at him, "I'm sorry?"

Jake smiled, "You're smell. I don't know what it is you're wearing or if it's just you, but your scent is killing me."

She simply looked at him.

Jake sighed, "Look, normally I'd spend quite a bit of time doing whatever was necessary to get your approval and hence your adoration, but right now I'm a little short on patience."

She smirked with a small smile, "So, I'm not worth the effort anymore? I just told you I'm single."

Jake looked back at her eyes. He hadn't noticed the subtle piece of information. "You did, didn't you? Well, then perhaps we should talk further."

The young woman shook her head. "Sorry, Mr. Liar. I have rounds." She gave him a reluctant smile and walked out of the room.

Jake couldn't remember the last time he'd been so intrigued by a woman. It had to have been since he'd met Ciara, whom he'd lost.


	19. Disappearing

Completing Someone – Chapter 18 – Disappearing

The good doctor returned later in the afternoon to Jake's room. "Still doing well, Mr. Liar?"

Jake looked up from his conversation with Chad to smile at the woman. "You got my title wrong. It's doctor."

She smiled and shook her head, "Not medical, I hope?"

Jake tried unsuccessfully to catch her eye. "PhD."

She laughed, "Under water basket weaving?"

Jake scoffed, "Psychology _and _sociology."

She stopped and searched his face. No lying apparent. She nodded at him, "Well, two PhDs, you must be just over booked with research assistants and students."

Jake smiled, "Curious about my love life, doc?"

She smirked at him. "Would that get you to up your BP for me a bit?"

Jake looked her dead in the eyes and said, "Come closer. I promise my blood pressure will rise in an empirically observable manner."

She started to step forward, but stopped herself before she actually got her foot up off of the floor. She couldn't tell if he'd noticed. She was waiting too long to respond, but she couldn't find any words.

Chad cleared his throat. "I'm just going to be outside, doc. Later, dude."

Jake smiled easily at Chad and waved as he left. Then he turned his gorgeous eyes complete with full intensity charm back to her, "Where were we?"

She felt her mouth go dry. This time though, she just shook her head. "Doctor, it seems as though your blood pressure has increased sufficiently. I'll just have a nurse stop in and check on you in a few minutes.

Jake was searching his mind desperately for something that might bring her back into the conversation. She was walking toward the door and he was honestly afraid she'd never come back through it if he didn't find something quick. He cleared his throat, "I didn't get your name, doc."

She stopped and couldn't help the little flirtatious flip of her hair as she looked back at him. She was stalling. She knew she shouldn't give him her name, but something inside of her was pushing the sounds out of her mouth, "Sha'nia."

Jake smiled, "A first name. And here I thought I'd get the straight laced, 'Call me Dr. …" He looked up at her expectantly.

Sha'nia smiled and chuckled to herself. She rolled her eyes and said, "Dr. Banner, my name is Sha'nia Banner."

Jake laughed gently, "Dr. Banner? Like the incredible hulk? Do you change into anything green, Dr. Banner?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Cut the crap, Dr. Reynolds."

Jake looked at her and her sudden chill quizzically. "What did I say, Sha'nia? What's wrong?"

Dr. Banner stood up straighter and eyed him coldly. "You must think I'm quite the fool. Forgive me, I forgot my place for a moment." She turned and loudly retreated from the room.

Jake sat there very confused. He couldn't figure out why she would have possibly reacted so strongly. He was merely inquiring to the type of Were she was. He knew she was a Were. He just wanted to know what kind. Then an idea struck him. If she was a Were in Albuquerque, Jack would know her. He picked up his phone and began dialing the number. Before he could hit send, she was in his face. Her expression was considerably different though.

She looked at him with fear filled eyes, "We have to get you out of here."

Jake looked up at her with eyes now filled with questions. "Who?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. But, he isn't here to weave baskets with you."

Jake nodded and let her help him off the bed and hobble to the door. She whispered to him along the way that there was a surgical suite at the end of the hallway that led into a variety of other waiting rooms and hallways. They were obviously headed there. Jake simply nodded silently.

Once in the new room, she ducked her head from under his arm and let him rest against a railing. She dipped her head out of the room to see where their friend had disappeared to.

As she returned, Jake looked at her, "Are you still mad at me?"

She looked at him strangely. "Now's not the time. Let's go."

Jake let her loop back under his arm. It didn't hurt so much, he'd have been enjoying the situation, but he was no longer hooked up to the meds and the staff had already cut the meds back earlier in the day. He wasn't as loaded as he had been say 20 hours ago.

She led him into a waiting room and sat him down. She checked his bandages to be sure they hadn't torn open his stitches. Her light finger tips across his skin made him break out in chills and goose bumps. He leaned toward her and took a whiff of her up close. When she eyed him for it, he simply smiled and shrugged. He wasn't wasting what could be his last chance to be near her.

She couldn't spend too much time here. She needed to keep him moving. If that thing caught up to them, he was probably dead. She shook her head as she got him moving again. "What did you get in a tangle with? I've never seen anything like him."

Jake chuckled, "Neither had I until a few days ago. Now, I can't seem to stop seeing him."

Sha'nia was breathing heavily now. He was getting heavy. "Damn, they still have the back elevators out of service.

Jake stopped suddenly and turned back the way they'd come.

Sha'nia shrieked, "What are you doing?"

Jake looked over his shoulder. "I'm not leaving Chad to fight this thing alone. I'm a damn good fighter and he nearly killed me. Chad needs my help. Whatever help I can be."

Sha'nia shook her head, "Don't be a fool."

Jake narrowed his eyes on her, "I don't leave my wolves to die for me!"

Sha'nia seemed to measure him up in that moment. "Fine, but you're an idiot. You should know that before you die."

Jake let down his guard a little as she started helping him back toward Chad. "And you should know that we're possible mates and too be honest, I'd love nothing more than to fuck your brains out."

She shook her head, "Cause that's exactly what every girl wants to hear."

He smiled, "You'd be amazed how many women like hearing that from me."

Sha'nia groaned, "Or put up with it because they think they have to."

Jake stopped their progress down the hallway. "You don't know any women I've ever slept with."

Sha'nia laughed, "Except the night shift nurse and probably half my colleagues."

Jake stood with his jaw dropped.

Sha'nia shook her head, "Are you going to gawk at me, or are you going to go save your wolf?"

Jake narrowed his eyes. He was frustrated to say the least. "Help me."

Sha'nia kept shaking her head, "I'm only getting you to your death, not participating in it."

Jake could hear the fighting now. Though it sounded like more than two wolves. "Stay with me, please, Sha'nia."

She stopped him just outside of the room where the fight raged on, "I can't. I'm sorry."

Jake looked at her. "I wish you would." He turned and hobbled into the fray only to find the bastard subdued momentarily by a few members of the pack. He wasn't going to stay down. Jake recognized the fight in the man. In a commanding voice, he said, "Don't lose your lives holding him down. We'll catch him again. We've done it twice now."

The man growled something, broke free momentarily and disappeared just as quickly.

Jake looked up at Chad, Jason, and Marcus. "That was impressive. How did you manage it?"

Chad wiped a bite of saliva from an attempted bite from is arm disgustedly. He looked up at Jake, "It's something we were all kicking around the other day. We think if there's too many people hanging on to the guy then disappearing gets harder and harder."

Jake smiled, "One other person isn't so hard, but pile on and he can't keep everybody straight or maybe it's just too much mass?"

Jason nodded, "Yeah, that's what Gabs thought."

Chad looked over at his friend. "That's when we started splitting your guards amongst other areas of the hospital. We just made it look like we were easing up because you were getting better."

Jake nodded, "Looks like he took the bait."

Marcus huffed.

Chad laughed, "Nah, he never got near the bait. By the way, where'd you disappear to?"

Jake turned to point to Sha'nia, but she wasn't there. He furrowed his brow. He turned back to Chad, "Didn't you send the doctor back in to get me?"

All three boys looked at him shaking their heads no.

Jake glanced around and realized he couldn't smell her anymore either. She was gone again.


	20. Knowing

Completing Someone – Chapter 19 - Knowing

Jack turned back to Charlie. "No! This is not going to go down this way. I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO USE _MY SON_!"

Charlie stood stoically silent watching the emotion filled Were.

Jack shook his head vehemently, "Absolutely not! I refuse to allow you to make my son the key to your damn angelic strategy! Use someone else! Use me, but don't you dare put my son in that position!"

Charlie stood looking at him without moving a muscle.

Jack growled loudly. "You cannot have him!"

Charlie didn't respond.

Jack shifted and growled openly at the angel.

Charlie merely adjusted the height of his gaze and continued to stand there patiently.

Jack's rage turned into mewling. He was whining. He couldn't let his son be put in the middle of an angelic war. They would rip his only son apart and leave him to die. He whined again to Charlie.

Charlie tilted his head slightly, "I'm sorry, Alpha. The wheels have already been set in motion. Troy will be the key to the war. He will have to fight and most likely die to keep the demons from over running your plane."

Jack curled up and laid down as he continued to whine.

* * *

><p>Lucille smiled at Gabriella. "It's so good to see you getting around again. I was afraid that you might close in like Troy did. I'm glad you're up and moving again."<p>

Gabriella smiled softly, "I won't try and tell you that everything is hunky dory, but I'm getting through each day all right. And, when I have nightmares, Troy helps me get through the night. We're making it, you know?"

Lucille smiled, "I'm glad to hear it."

Gabriella nodded, "This is exactly how I thought my summer was going to end, but just being with Troy again…just having him there for me, I think I'd go through anything if I just knew we could be like this afterwards."

Lucille frowned slightly, "Things will fade back out to normal. You'll have periods where you're each less responsive than the other would like. Don't let yourself get into a cycle where crazy things have to happen to feel like he loves you."

Gabriella shook her head. "No, I'm not saying that at all. It's just, after his situation during the school year, we had a hard time reconciling who we'd each become. We were just mending everything when all of this chaos happened. I guess I was trying to find the silver lining in it all. I could certainly do without the drama, that's for sure." She chuckled.

Lucille smiled, "Couldn't we all?"

Troy came strolling into the kitchen. He kissed Gabriella on the cheek and smiled, "Hey baby."

Gabriella smiled wider, "Hey, handsome."

Troy grinned, "That's me, your handsome wolf."

Lucille smiled at her son being affectionate with his mate again. She began dicing some green onions. "I was just telling Gabriella that I am glad she's up and around. I was a little concerned."

Troy nuzzled his nose along Gabriella's neck. He dropped a quick kiss there. Then, he walked over to the fridge, his original destination. "I've been showing her the things that Jake taught me. She's smarter than I am, so she's catching on quicker."

Lucille looked over at him. "You're a smart guy, Troy. You got into Berkley."

Troy shook his head, "But, I'm not like Gabs over there. I can do calculus, but it's hard for me. She can do calculus like—like the way it's effortless for me when I shoot baskets."

Lucille shook her head, "I still say that you're both smart."

Gabriella smiled at Troy as he raised his eyebrows apparently questioning her beliefs on this topic. She laughed, "Don't look at me! I agree with her!"

Troy scoffed, "Great. Teamed up on by my two favorite ladies!"

Jack strolled into the house from the back door. He looked anything but happy. He looked up and immediately saw his son with a smile on his face. Jack felt his heart strings tear at him. He wanted to find some way to save his son. He HAD to find some way to save Troy. He shook his head and moved quickly into his study where he went to strategize. He used to strategize about basketball. Now, it seemed he was only ever strategizing about life and death situations.

* * *

><p>Jake sighed as he leaned back with one arm behind his head and the tv remote in the other. He'd just finished his lunch and was preparing to be bored to tears by the latest round of intellectually inept tv talk show hosts. Just as he had positioned himself comfortably, his nose caught the smell of someone beautiful.<p>

"I see you're feeling significantly better."

Jake smiled, "I guess you'll just have to examine me like every other patient you have to find that out, won't you?"

Sha'nia kept looking down at her chart. "All I _have_ to do is make a few empirical observations and turn you back over to the nurses for discharge."

Jake sat up, "Damn it, Sha'nia! Just fucking talk to me!"

She glared at him, "First of all, it's Dr. Banner to you. Second of all, Dr. Reynolds, I have no desire to know anything more about you than whether or not your prescription pain killers are providing you with the necessary relief to be discharged from this hospital!"

Jake flipped his covers back and gently swung his legs out of his bed. He started toward her, but realized when she didn't move that she knew his IV wouldn't let him get to her. He wanted to rip the damn thing out of his arm and cross this stupid distance between them, but he knew the same as she did that he wouldn't. He wouldn't because if, on the off chance, he hurt her in some way he'd be miserable for a while. And, he would never get another chance to show her how good they could be together.

Sha'nia stood, lips pursed, waiting for him to come to the realization that he couldn't make it without doing something stupid. Finally she saw it dawn on him. She looked him dead in the eye. She'd seen that wounded, rejected look before and it didn't faze her. "Dr. Reynolds, could you tell me on a 1 to 10 scale exactly how much you know about me?"

Jake held her gaze and refused to back down. "Maybe a 2, Dr. Banner."

She nodded, "That's right, Dr. Reynolds. Now tell me, in any world where a female Were has existed on her own for say 10 years do you really think she might risk getting entangled with a chauvinistic player such as yourself?"

Jake looked down, but then quickly back to her eyes, "Alright, yes, I slept with the night nurse. Don't ask me for a laundry list of women I've slept with in my 38 years, because I couldn't possibly get you a complete one. But, damn it, we're possible mates! I am an intensely loyal person to those I love!"

Sha'nia's eyes shown brighter, "And how loyal are you to someone you know along a 2 level? Surely you don't love everyone you know as an acquaintance?"

Jake stared her down, "No, I don't _love_ everyone I know as little about as I do you, but we have chemistry and banter those don't come along every day. Besides," he inched closer, "you need to mate. You want to mate. I can smell it."

Sha'nia glared at him again, "Forget about me. I'm a lost cause." She tried hard to hide the way her blood was slicing through her now. She looked back down at her chart and scribbled something. "You'll get your discharge papers later today."

Jake reached for her, "Nye, please…"

She turned in the doorway. "Maybe if I were different, or if the past was….I'm sorry." She opened the door and started to walk through it. Before she realized what was happening, he spun her around and pressed his lips to hers. The intense, amazing, euphoric feeling that transgressed her body was incredible. He was right. She needed to mate. Her kept telling her it was time, but she refused. Mating only ever destroyed happiness, it didn't create it. She shoved him back. "No."

Jake looked at her, "Why, Sha'nia? At least tell me why, please?"

She looked down on him, "Because I'm dangerous, Wolfie. Because I'm dangerous."

Jake looked up at her with deeper eyes and quiet threat, "You think I'm not?" He glanced down at the dangling IV as if to prove himself.

She stepped back in and shut the door. She looked him in the eye again. "I think you've probably never killed before in your life. I think you might have fought a time or two, but are probably still so green you don't even realize the kind of situations good wolves can find themselves in. I think you have no idea who I am or what I am capable of."

Jake leaned closer toward her, "I'm an alpha. I didn't inherit my position. You do the math."

She growled at him and they began to circle one another slowly. "You killed for your position? Will you kill for me too? Because the only way you're taking me is over my dead body."

Jake glared at her, "I don't want your goddamned dead body. I want you. You're smart, beautiful, and strong."

She shook her head, "Better men have tried and died."

Jake stopped and looked at her inquisitively, "Who hurt you?"

She stopped and looked over at him directly. "No one."

Jake shook his head, "Someone tried to force you to mate?"

She laughed sardonically, "Just like you were about to do?"

Jake shook his head, "I'm not that kind of alpha, Nye. I'll fight for you, for your attentions, but I would never force you."

"That's what they all say. But, if I reject they're the first to try to force me."

Jake growled, "I don't have to be your mate or your alpha to kill any wolf who's forced or tried to force you! Tell me."

Sha'nia shook her head, "I've punished them."

Jake's fury rumbled softly in his chest. "I will—"

"They've been killed!"

He nodded gently, but couldn't force the anger away just yet. "Good."

Sha'nia shook her head, "I'm not stupid. There's no such thing as the knight in shining armor."

Jake shook his head, "I just told you I've been a playboy for years. I'm no one's knight in shining armor."

Sha'nia shook her head again. "It's not the same. You're too good to be true. There's a lie somewhere."

Jake shook his head, "What you see is what you get. I'm a PhD with a small transitional pack in California."

Sha'nia felt the tears welling in her eyes. Her body was screaming to be with him, but she couldn't let herself become vulnerable. "Jake?"

He relaxed his shoulders and leaned his head a bit forward as he softened at her tone. "Sha'nia?"

She whimpered, "Jake, I—"

He stepped toward her tentatively, "I'm right here, Nye."

She pulled back again. "Stay away!"

Jake froze solid. He didn't move a muscle. "Sha'nia, I only want to help. I swear to you, I'll back off the mating thing. We can just be friends if you want."

Sha'nia shook her head, "I can't be friends with you."

Jake eased a bit toward her. "Why," he said softly.

She started shaking. Her body was folding over on itself. She wanted to cry out for him. "Jake…" she whispered as her knees gave out.

Jake moved swiftly to her side. "Sha'nia," he whimpered as she let him curl her into his lap in his arms, "I'm right here. I'm here, baby."

She cried into his chest. Her body ached in painful ways that had nothing to do with physical pain.

Jake held her close and just let her cry it out. He didn't try to kiss her or whisper the right words into her ear. He simply held her and let her cry and cling to him.

* * *

><p>Jake woke up and flipped over. It was the middle of the night, but he was restless and frustrated. He kept having nightmares of Sha'nia screaming or fighting with another alpha. He knew the guy was an alpha and he knew he couldn't actually interact with them. He was just stuck watching in the dreams.<p>

He growled as he flipped over. He tried to settle back in his covers and rest, but before he'd even dropped all the way off into sleep, his dream returned to him.

"_Nye!" He screamed, but he couldn't be heard. He was sentenced to watch as she faced off with the alpha. He was terrified. He could see her circling with the larger, angry wolf. If something happened to her this time, he'd lose his mind. "Nye!"_

_The dark brown wolf snarled as he deflected an advance by Sha'nia. It was a rookie mistake. Jake had seen it done a million times when he went over basic fighting skills with his younger pack members._

A scream woke him immediately. He sat up thinking in some foggy part of his mind he was still in the meadow with fighting wolves, except, as his mind cleared, it was obvious that he was actually sitting in a hospital bed hearing the sound of wolves fighting. He flipped the covers off and moved to the door. He listened quietly and then quietly opened the door just a crack. He caught sight of two wolves facing off with his ever persistent visitor.

One wolf he knew was Chad. The other dark brown, almost black furred wolf was not one he recognized. As she turned, he knew why. First of all, she wasn't a wolf, she was a dog. And secondly, she was his doctor. He'd never seen her in fur before. He felt the overwhelming need to be beside her. If this bastard hurt her in any way, he'd never forgive himself.

Jake made his way out into the fray. "Stop!" His voice was deep, husky, and in complete command. Everyone in the general vicinity froze momentarily. He stared down the visitor. "What do you want?"

The man smiled maliciously, "Just an opening." He disappeared instantly and reappeared immediately next to Jake.

Jake expected to be instantly transported somewhere else. Instead, the man whispered something into his ear and disappeared alone again.

Jake stood staring into space. He had no idea what to do with the information. He was stunned into silence. Who should he tell? Should he tell anyone at all? A snap in front of his face got his attention. He snatched the person's arm away from his face. He growled over at the woman he'd come out to protect. "What?" he snapped.

She snarled at him, "Don't get your attitude with me, alpha."

Chad chuckled in the background as he caught his foot in his shorts. He landed on the floor still laughing at the alpha getting his head bit off. He rolled over, took one look at the expressions on Jake and the doc's faces and immediately choked off the next laugh.

Sha'nia rolled her eyes and turned back to Jake. "What did he tell you?"

Jake shook his head. He seemed stunned, almost as if he were in shock.

"Jacob…"

Jake turned and smirk at her, "Really? My full name? You gonna whip out the middle name too?"

She stared back at him, "You gonna make me need it, or are you gonna share with the class?"

Jake tried to stare her down, but he quickly found that to be a game he would lose miserably.

Sha'nia started tapping her foot. "Hmm, big boy?"

Jake who'd looked away looked back at her now with an incredulous expression. "Excuse me?"

Sha'nia shook her head, "Don't even try. What did he say to you?"

Jake smiled and teased, "Nag much?"

Sha'nia growled shoved her hands down by her sides and spun on her heels. "Now I know why you don't have a mate! No one could possibly be willing to put up with you!"

Jake growled and crossed the room in no more than a split second. He grabbed Sha'nia by the throat and growled in her face.


	21. Relief

Completing Someone – Chapter 20 - Relief

Sha'nia was shocked at first, but narrowed her eyes down on him as she took one foot out from beneath him.

They landed on the ground and she proceeded to grapple him to submission. She held his arms behind his back and pinned his legs down with her own shins. "Damn you!"

Jake growled beneath her, "I won't let you sully her name!"

Sha'nia let him go and sprung back. "What?" She felt sick. Her stomach turned and she felt her skin break out in goose bumps.

Jake whipped around to be sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. He refused to meet anyone's eye. The regular humans were still stunned, or long gone. Everyone else was watching him quietly, tensely and quietly. "She died." He said no more. He just sat there.

Sha'nia felt her stomach ease slightly. "So, you were mated once?"

Jake just nodded.

Sha'nia felt awful. "I'm so sorry, Jake."

He shook his head, "There was no way for you to know."

Sha'nia shook her head, "I went too far. I'm sorry."

Jake looked at her, "Yeah, cause my grabbing you by the throat wasn't 'too far'? Come on, Nye."

She bit her lip, "Still, I'm sorry."

Jake nodded, "Me too."

Chad finally released a breath that sounded as though it might have killed him to hold onto any longer. "Oh my freaking God!"

Jake looked over at the kid. "You are truly strange."

Chad laughed, "Yeah, but I got one helluva jump shot, dude!"

Jake laughed, "Yeah?"

Chad nodded, "Definitely."

Jake let his head drop. He looked back up at the young African American kid. "We'll have to see about that."

Chad nodded, "Oh yeah. You'll see."

Sha'nia moved over to Jake and helped him up. "Come on, Gimp. Let's get you back to bed."

Chad snickered.

Sha'nia glared at him.

Jake laughed and moved with his doctor who smelled like the only woman he could ever need. He wanted to pull her into his bed with him and… Jake shook his head as though shaking out the 'bad' thoughts. He felt Sha'nia stop them.

"What is it? Are you feeling okay?"

Jake looked over at her, "Bad thoughts."

She let out a breath she'd held on to. "So, you're really not going to tell me what he whispered?"

Jake's expression changed, "I don't know that I'm going to say anything to anyone yet. I'm not sure this is mine to tell, babe." He turned to reach for his bed, but felt her hands holding him back. He turned back to her, "What?"

She shook her head, "You called me 'babe'."

Jake furrowed his brow, "Okay. Do you have something against that term of endearment?"

She rolled her eyes, "No, but Jake, I'm not going to be your mate. I know I had a weak moment earlier and you were there for me, but we aren't—this isn't going—I can't mate with anyone Jake. Not after what he tried to do forcing me to mate with him."

Jake stroked her face, "Did he manage to finish?"

She closed her eyes, "He never actually got into me, but that doesn't really matter. I'll never be comfortable with mating, Jake."

Jake nodded, "I wouldn't be either, but Nye, I can't stop what I'm starting to feel for you."

Sha'nia leaned her head onto his shoulder.

He laughed, "This isn't helping me feel like you need distance, Nye."

Sha'nia laughed against his shoulder. She smacked his chest lightly, a lover's tap. "Shut up."

Jake kissed the side of her head, "I read somewhere that when girls hit you on the playground it's because they like you."

Sha'nia laughed harder, "Jackass."

Jake smiled as she raised her head from his shoulder, "See."

She rolled her eyes and let a few more laughs out. "Whatever…" She smiled at him, but took a deep, sad breath. "I just don't want to lead you on. I can't be what you want me to be. We have chemistry, I get it. But, I can't pretend I'm ever going to be anything but what I am."

Jake shook his head as he took her face between his hands, "I would never want you to be anything else. If you need space and time, it will be hard, but I'll give you space and time."

She shook her head, "I keep expecting to see you saying these exact same things to the night nurse."

Jake shook his head, "Not gonna happen. I know what I want. I'd forgotten how this feels."

Sha'nia shook her head gently in his hands, "I never wanted to feel thing again, ever."

Jake smoothed the hair from her face. "No one will ever touch you without your permission ever again, Nye. Whether I'm your alpha, friend, or lover, I will never allow another person or wolf to hurt you that way. I don't allow forceful mating in my pack. I never have; I never will."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and helped him into the bed as his knees began to buckle slightly.

Jake thanked her and watched her go. It was getting harder to watch her leave him. Each time he so desperately wanted her to stay with him. He wanted to pull her against him and feel her body. He wanted that connected moment when skin met skin and there was nothing but each other. He knew he couldn't, but that doesn't stop the heart from wanting.

* * *

><p>Troy tapped her shoulder, "We should go relieve Chad."<p>

Gabriella nodded, "What are they going to do when we all leave for school this weekend? Jake's getting better. He still gets tired easily, but he's definitely out of the woods, no pun intended."

Troy smiled and dropped a quick kiss to her lips. "I love you, baby."

She narrowed her eyes on him, "What was that for?"

Troy laughed lightly, "You." He glanced over as he got into the truck and pulled it away from the curb. "What? You are always the one who is thinking ahead. You're ten steps ahead of everyone else."

She looked out the window a little insulted. She didn't know what to say. So, she simply didn't say anything at all. When he reached over and silently took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it softly, she knew he was concerned. She glanced over at him. "I'm fine. I just need some time to think."

Troy nodded, "Seems like we've all been going from one crisis to the next, constantly putting out fires for entirely too long now."

Gabriella let out a heavy breath. "I couldn't agree more."

As Troy pulled up to the hospital, he saw Chad wheeling Jake out to his Jeep in a wheel chair. Jake was dressed in plain clothes and obviously enjoying the fresh air that Troy was sure the other alpha had missed terribly. "Hey, maybe we won't be needed after all? Looks like Chad is springing Jake outta this place."

Gabriella looked over toward the doors on the circle where patients were dropped off and picked up. "Wow. That could certainly make life easier."

Troy nodded in agreement and took her hand as he helped her out of the truck. As they walked toward Chad and Jake, Troy cleared his throat. He spoke a little louder than he had with Gabriella in the truck. "Where do you two think you're going?"

Chad jumped, turned and glared at Troy, "Dude! You sounded way too much like your dad just then! Watch it! I almost started running ladders as a knee-jerk reaction, man!"

Troy chuckled, "Nice to know I have that effect on you, man."

Chad rolled his eyes, and mumbled under his breath, "Not you, just the alpha."

Troy smiled and raised his eyebrow. "I am the alpha, Chad."

Chad shook his head, "Nah, you're our pack's alpha. Your dad is still 'The Man' for the time being."

Troy nodded and gave Chad a half smile, "Touche. So, are you busting Jake out or has he actually been released?"

Jake turned his head and finally joined the conversation. "Discharged. They kicked my ass out. Said I was having too much of an effect on the female staff." His eyes caught sight of someone exiting through the sliding doors and smirked, "Especially the female doctors."

Sha'nia turned and caught his eyes scanning her. "Go home, Dr. Reynolds!"

Jake smiled, "Want to come with me?"

She rolled her eyes and headed for her car.

Jake called out to, "It's a long drive since I live in California, but I'd let you come home with me if you wanted to. In fact, I might even be willing to let you move in if you really wanted to."

His voice kept getting louder as she walked away. Finally as she was a few steps from her car door she held up a hand and flipped him off. She smirked as she reached her car. She was going to be free of him very soon. Then suddenly she felt a hand grasp her wrist. She quickly took a gasped breath and froze. Then she felt the cool familiar feel of the stranger. She didn't know what else to call the guy. He'd come to the hospital in search of Jake a couple of times now.

He leaned forward and slipped a hand along her waist. "Oh, well aren't you a pretty one in your skin."

Even more suddenly, the stranger was ripped from behind her and sliced into very deeply. As the man lay bleeding, he took one look up at his assailant and disappeared.

Jake stood staring down at the creep until he was gone. Just as the guy disappeared, Jake stumbled forward and into Sha'nia.

She wrapped her arms around him and felt his legs trembling. "Oh my god…"

Jake got his balance and leaned against the car. "I'm sorry. I just reacted. I saw him touch you and I—" Two lips crashed over Jake's in a very possessive sort of way. He leaned back on the car as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He could feel her urgency. Her body wanted to mate immediately, but he knew she would regret it. So, as his legs gave out and he slid them to the ground, he pulled away his lips away from her. "Baby, wait."

She tried desperately again, but he refused. She whimpered, then looked directly at him.

Jake stared into her eyes. He knew his own were showing the frustration and the overwhelming desire he had to simply pull her back to him and take her body. Inwardly he was actually a little marveled at his self-control. Still, he said, "This will pass, Sha'nia. I won't take you like this."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she realized the state they were in and what she'd been trying to do. She looked down at him with fear and panic building up inside of her. She sat back, but her legs wouldn't move. She felt anxiety building in her chest. She bit her lip. "Jake…" She had tears welling in her eyes now. "Oh God…" She felt herself rub against him as she straddled his lap. "Oh God, I want you…"

Jake flexed his muscles and clamped his jaw. She was torturing him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on with her moving on him like this. Finally he basically whimpered, "Please, baby, you have to stop. You need to stop, Nye. Not like this…not like this."

She froze and sat back. She felt the tears crest her lashes, "It wouldn't even matter, would it? It wouldn't satisfy because it would just be getting off, not mating."

Jake looked back up into her tortured eyes as he brushed a few strands of hair aside. "No, it wouldn't sate your lust, Nye. But, if you'd let me mate with you, you'd never have to be this way again. I could take care of your needs, baby. Just let me. Please…Nye…just let me in."

She shook her head. "Don't."

He stopped and looked at her. He waited.

Finally, she looked back into his eyes, "You don't understand how hard this is for me. I've been alone, Jake. Completely and utterly alone…for years. I have managed to avoid the pack that lives here, because I couldn't risk another wolf trying to mate or claim me. I refuse to be subordinate to some male just because he has a dick and I don't."

Jake looked at her, "What, in any of our conversations, has led you to believe that you would be subordinate to me? When have I ever treated you with any real disrespect? I've teased you. I've tried desperately to get your attention, but I've never put you down. I've told you that I will protect you, but I'm not stupid enough to think you can't take care of yourself. I've told you that I would take care of your needs, but I don't really believe you need me to do that. I'm not asking you to need me in spite of yourself. I'm asking you to choose to be with me! I'm begging you to want to be with me!"

She looked down at him, "No, you don't! You've chided me and not once have you told me that you cared about me! Not a single time did you ever mention that you wanted me beyond lust!"

He shook his head, "This morning, I told you I couldn't stop feeling the things I was already beginning to feel for you."

She shook her head, "A vague reference to feelings you might develop isn't enough."

He looked into her eyes, "You want feelings? I love you! I _love_ you! Damn it! Sha'nia, I have been trying to hold back. I've been trying to give you the space and time you needed, but I don't need those things! I love you. I can feel it in my chest. I can feel it when you are not near me. I feel this empty whole when you aren't close." He had tears streaming down his face now too.

She shook her head, "You're just trying to get me to let my guard down."

He raised his eyebrows, "What?"

She shook her head more forcefully, "I'm not loveable! You don't even know anything about me!"

He brushed her hair back from her face again. He took her face between both of his hands and made her look at him, "I love you! I know that you are strong enough to survive something that our kind considers a curse! I know that you can fight and beat the shit out of me! I know that you're intelligent and kind and care, because you're a doctor! I know that we have unbelievable chemistry! And, I'm 100% sure that we should be together!"

She felt the tears stinging her cheeks as he listed off the things he'd learned, "I'm not worth it, Jake. I'm not the girl you keep forever. I'm just a right now kind of girl."

Jake's face softened. "You are beautiful and smart and strong. You are everything any man could want, Sha'nia."

She shook her head the little bit that his hands would allow. "But, I killed the last man who tried to…"

Jake growled, "I would never rape you. And the son of a bitch who tried deserved his fate."

She let her head drop down into her hands. She cried so hard. She felt Jake's arms close around her and pull her into the safety of his chest. Sobbing, she said, "Jake…I…I just…I need you and it…it scares me."

Jake kissed her hair. "I need you too, baby. And, I'd be lying if I told you it doesn't worry me too. I don't think there's anything I'm not willing to do if you asked me too. That can be very dangerous in an alpha. If someone tried to use you against me, I wouldn't be capable of letting them live."

Sha'nia rubbed her head against his the way wolves and dogs both do. That loving gesture that is intimate and vulnerable at the same time. She whimpered and she heard him respond to her whimper with a small, grumbly growl. He was answering her call of need.


	22. Pairs

Completing Someone – Chapter 21 - Pairs

Troy glanced back over his shoulder and said, "Nah, they're still nuzzling." He looked up at Gabriella and smiled, "Remember when we were like that? Always cuddling and couldn't keep our hands off of each other?"

Gabriella giggled, "Yeah. I kind of miss high school sometimes. Though, I wouldn't want to go through the last two years again for anything in the world."

Troy shuddered, "With the exception of you, there's nothing I wouldn't be willing to change. Of course, if it meant giving up my beautiful mate, I'd do it all over again."

She smiled softly at him, "I love you, Troy."

He kissed her lips gently, "I love you too, princess."

She giggled and hugged her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly.

Troy looked up, "How long should we give them? Do you think they've noticed that Chad left like twenty minutes ago?"

Gabriella shook her head against his shoulder. "I'd be surprised if they knew anyone in the world was even alive right now. I know I wasn't aware the first time we…"

Troy's eyes lit up brightly and he grinned ferociously. "Someone could have dropped an anvil in my room and all that would have mattered was that they weren't too close to you."

Gabriella met his eyes and smiled sweetly. "I love when you get just a little bit protective, Troy."

He kissed her lips again, "I love when you let me be a little bit protective. I feel like you trust me, and love me."

Gabriella nodded, "You make me feel so safe. It's like no one can touch me but you."

Troy nodded, sweetly brushing their noses together as he did. "That's exactly what it is. If someone got too close to you when I was feeling like I needed to protect you, they would not be safe."

Gabriella chuckled, "Guess that's why we're all the way over here now, then, huh?"

Troy grinned wider. "Yeah. I mean I can hold my own with Jake, but we're basically equals and I don't want to fight him if I don't have to. Plus, it's amazing to see him feeling something. As long as I've known him, it's like he's been wandering, securing other's happiness, but never his own. He always seemed to be looking for something. She seems to be that something."

Gabriella smiled, "Is that how you felt last year while we were apart? Like you were wandering, looking for something?"

Troy nodded, "Yeah. I kept trying to search, but I knew in my heart what I was searching for. I needed my self-respect back and then I needed you."

She nodded, "Are you really healed, Troy? Sometimes I still see those shadows flash across your eyes."

He sighed, "It's a part of me now, baby. Last year, everything with the girls and the depression, it changed me. I'm not miserable anymore, but it didn't leave me unscathed either. I can promise you something though."

She looked at him quizzically, "What's that, my alpha?"

He smiled at her words, "I can swear to you that I'll never let anything come between us like that again. I've been down that very lonely, pain-filled road, and I'll never return to that life. I need to be—want to be with you."

She smiled and let out a long, slow breath. As she brushed her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, she said, "I love you, my alpha."

He smiled softly, "I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Jake squeezed his arms around her that much tighter. "Oh Nia, you don't understand how hard this is for me, baby."<p>

Sha'nia giggled against his chest. "Oh, I don't know that I'd phrase it exactly that way. I've got a pretty good idea how hard this is making you."

Jake laughed and leaned his head back against the car door. "Are you flirting with me, doctor?"

Sha'nia nuzzled his neck. "Only if you were flirting with me first."

Jake chuckled, "I've been flirting with you since the second I could smell you."

It was her turn to chuckle, "Well then, I suppose I was flirting with you."

Jake nodded and looked down at her. "As much as I love this feeling right now, I have to get back to the house. Lucille is probably wondering where I am."

Sha'nia cringed obviously. She tried to bite her tongue, but the words came tumbling out, "Who's Lucille?" The venom was unmistakable.

Jake smiled down at her jealous expression. "My host's mate."

Sha'nia took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Oh."

Jake loved the reaction he'd gotten. "If I'd said something else, would it have made you jealous, love?"

She rolled her eyes, "You know it would have."

Jake grinned, "Come back with me. I have something I want to give you. It's in my bag. I want you to have it before I leave to go back to California."

That was when the tears welled in her eyes again. "No, you can't really go back to California. I thought you were kidding."

Jake looked at her. "I teach at Stanford, baby. I have to go back there. Classes start next week." He pulled her close again. "Come with me, Nye. We have tons of hospitals out there. Just come with me, baby."

Sha'nia shook her head, "I couldn't possibly."

He looked down into her eyes, "Yes, you could. Quit this job and come with me."

Sha'nia looked at him, "I don't remember how to be in a pack, Jake. Much less being so overwhelmingly attracted to the pack's alpha. I'd never survive."

Jake looked confused, "Why?"

She raised her brow. "Because, Jake, you'd get sick of dealing with my issues and then I'd just be alone in a strange place that is actually yours."

He shook his head, "You would never be alone, honey."

* * *

><p>Jack met Lucille's eyes as he finished. He laid over top of her looking down into her eyes. "I love you," he whispered desperately.<p>

She was still breathing heavily as she looked up at him. "Love you, too." She kept looking into his eyes, "Jack, what's wrong?"

He felt the tears beginning to flood his eyes. "I think—" He choked off the words. Then he tried again, "I think they're going to destroy him."

Lucille looked into his eyes, "What do you mean? Who?"

Jack looked down at her, "Troy."

Lucille's expression changed to panic instantly. "Who?"

Jack tried to sooth her. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I've been trying for weeks to find some other solution. I've been looking for some way around what's coming, but I don't see any way we can keep the angels from using our son. I've tried. Eduardo has been working with me trying to find some way to change what they've put in motion. It's why I've been so distracted, why I didn't see this guy coming. I don't know what to do, Lucille. They're going to make him their goddamned key and I can't stop them!"

Lucille's tears were flowing. "So, what you told me before, it's still in motion. Nothing's changed? Jack, he's our son!"

Jack rolled to the side and sat with his back to the head board of their bed. "I know. God, don't you think I've tried! I don't know what else to do!"

Lucille was sitting up next to him holding the covers over her body. She tried to look into his eyes, but he had buried them in his hands as he cried. She pulled his limp body to her. She held him as he wept. "Shh, we'll think of something. It will be okay. We'll find a way, honey."

Jack wrapped his arms around her so tightly. She was his life line. "I'm out of options, Lucille. I need to save our son."

She nodded as her own tears fell gracefully into his hair. "I'm here now. We'll figure this out."

* * *

><p>Jake took her hand and let her help him out of the truck and into the house. She was the only one he could stand to touch at the moment. Troy had tried to help him into the truck, but his grasp made Jake hiss and growl. So, Troy had talked Sha'nia into following them back to the house.<p>

Sha'nia had agreed and offered to let Gabriella ride with her to keep Jake from having to switch cars or be smashed in with the two of them. That was how this scene had come to pass. Jake was discretely nuzzling Sha'nia's neck as Gabriella had walked toward them. Troy was unlocking the front door of the house as Gabriella reached over to grasp Jake's other arm and help Sha'nia balance his weight. Jake let out a growl that turned Troy on the spot and had him shifting mid-run to Gabriella.

Now, Jake stood on all fours, hackles raised staring down Troy who was also on all fours with his hackles raised. Upon hearing a fight, Jack had rushed out in nothing but his boxer shorts and Lucille was close behind in shorts and one of Jack's t-shirts. Sha'nia looked around herself and got scared. She shifted. Gabriella sensing danger for Troy, shifted as well.

Jack looked at the four wolves in his driveway, squaring off for a nasty battle. That was when Eduardo, the large black furred Jaguar stormed into the middle of the commotion and gave the kind of roar only a large cat can produce. Jack stood there watching. Then, his mind switched into gear, "You heard the cat! Back the hell off! All of you!" He looked around and recognized Troy and Gabriella. He assumed the other wolf was Jake, but had no idea who the dog was. "Back into skins, NOW!"

The dog barked at Jack repeatedly. She wouldn't stop. Jack was beginning to wonder if it wasn't just a natural dog. But, when Jake shifted back, rather painfully from the look of him, he immediately went to sooth the dog. He petted her and soon the dog was standing in his lap. She wouldn't sit, but she was calmer.

Jack looked at him, "What the hell happened out here?"

Jake shook his head, "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I was nuzzling Nye and Gabriella got too close. I responded instinctually, which got Troy's instincts and then the girls shifted to side with their mates—well, their men. I'm not exactly her mate, just—" He let out a frustrated sigh. "It's hard to explain."

Lucille nodded, "Well, I can see that. Why don't we all go to our respective rooms and get back into proper attire before convening in the family room for a family meeting. I do believe it's time we set some boundaries. All you alphas running around with your mates are making my nerves absolutely frayed."

Jake chuckled and met Jack's eyes, "You don't really run anything, do you?"

Jack shrugged.

Jake ruffled the fur of the dog in his lap. "Let's go, beautiful. I'll find you something to wear, but I'm pretty sure our hostess is going to require you to be in skin before that 'family meeting'." As Jake struggled his way up, the dog nudged him once or twice. Then, as he walked into the house, she followed him step by step.

Jack looked down at his son sitting close with his mate by his side. They were still in fur. He walked over and scratched behind his son's ears and let Gabriella rub in her cat-like way along his arm. "We all have a lot to talk about besides this little debacle." He smiled sadly as he rubbed Troy's ears. "There's some things I need to tell you, son."

Troy whined.

Jack looked down at his eyes as Eduardo came up and nudged Jack's arm. "It's time, old friend. They need to know what they're up against."

Gabriella ducked her head under Jack's other arm and rubbed the top of her head against Troy's chin. Troy simply held his father's stare without any response, but a small tilt of his head to encourage Gabriella's nuzzling and purring.


	23. What!

Completing Someone – Chapter 22 – What?

Troy sat in the familiar large chair with ottoman that he and his then newly mated Werecat had shared when her mother had caused an extended family meeting nearly a year ago. He looked around the room and tried not to laugh at the collection of personalities in the room. It seemed his extended family included his mom and dad, his mate, his 'big brother' and potential mate, and his mate's father. Once upon a time there had been a single alpha male living at 1023 Raiden Lane. Now, there were four alpha males, plus two females of alpha lineage and mindset.

Gabriella laid back against Troy's chest as she felt his arms close softly around her body. Her eyes met Sha'nia's. The poor woman looked positively terrified. Gabriella mustered a small, easy smile for her. Still, she thought to herself, _she's on edge._

Lucille smiled as she stood in the middle of the room. "Now, someone please start."

Jake slid forward in his seat. He felt Sha'nia touch his arm as if asking him not to move too far away. He rubbed her fingers where they still lay against his forearm. "I'll start. This woman next to me was my doctor at the hospital. Her name is Sha'nia. Jack, Lucille, you haven't had the chance to meet her yet. She was the dog out in the driveway. She's a potential mate for me. We've already had some trouble both between us and against us. None the less, I'm sure she is who I need to be with." He looked back at her for a moment with a soft smile on his face, "Now convincing her of that has been somewhat of a challenge." He turned back around, "But, there are other things we need to talk about."

Jack nodded and leaned forward as he spoke, "I agree. Thank you for introducing us though. It's nice to meet you, Dr. Sha'nia."

She smiled and looked to the ground.

Jack furrowed his brow. "Why are you—"

Jake pulled her close, "You're free to talk here, honey. He's the alpha of the pack, but he's a good man."

Jack realized very quickly that this woman had suffered at the hands of a cruel Were. He met Lucille's eyes and knew that she too understood Jake's comforting words. He glanced at Troy and immediately recognized that they were aware of the newcomer's trepidations. He looked back to the new member in their surroundings. "You're very welcome here, Sha'nia. I don't want my pack members to hold back. We can use all different kinds of knowledge and perspectives these days."

Sha'nia looked up into Jake's eyes. She had no clue how to interact with this people. They were so completely different than the pack she'd been subjected to in the past. "I'll, uh, I'll try to remember that. Thank you."

Jake smiled and kissed her temple gently. He whispered into her ear, "It really is okay, baby."

She met his eye and then nodded subtly.

Jack looked over at Troy, "Son, there are some things I need to catch you and everyone here up on. I've been meeting with Charlie on a regular basis. He's kept me abreast of the war on the other planes. In recent weeks things have begun to deteriorate again. It looks as though we may need to fight again."

Troy sighed and rubbed his temples, "Why can't they fight their own damn war?"

Gabriella clutched Troy's hand, because the look that Jack was giving Troy made her terrified of what the older alpha had to say next.

Jack sighed heavily. He clasped Lucille's hand as she tried to comfort him gently. He met Gabriella's fear-filled eyes as he said, "Son, they've developed a new strategy."

Gabriella felt Troy's hands close on her in that way that told her he was concerned about the situation at hand. "What strategy?"

Jack glanced back at Lucille and then over to Jake. He met stares with Eduardo still sitting in fur at the far end of the room. Then finally, Jack met Troy's eyes. "You."

In that split second, the room went silent. No one moved. Everyone's eyes were trained on Troy. Finally, Troy screamed. "WHAT?"

Gabriella's tear filled eyes locked onto Troy's. He was furious and after his initial anger reaction, his eyes sought hers too. He suddenly pulled her back against him tightly. He felt her throw her own arms around him too. "God, haven't we been through enough? Why _me_?"

Jack felt his own tears falling quietly down his cheeks. His wife was leaning against him with tears beginning to pour from her eyes. He'd let his family down. He'd let his pack become drawn into something they could not control and that was now going to consume his son. He was miserable inside. He was angry at the angels and himself. He was failing to find another strategy. He was failing his son.

Gabriella sat straddling Troy's lap, crying into his shoulder. She'd only just gotten him back and now the angels were going to take him from her.

Finally Jake spoke up, "When you say that he is the strategy, what do you mean? Is there some way we can—"

Jack looked up at the younger alpha, "Believe me, I've tried. I've screamed, schemed, and begged. They won't hear it. Charlie says this is the only way."

Troy glared over at his father. "If that son of a bitch wants me, he's going to have to be more fucking specific than that! I'm not fighting for them just because they say so!"

Jack sighed, "I don't know the specifics, Troy. I only know what Charlie has been willing to tell me."

Troy shook his head as he held his lover against his body. "I won't go like this. I can't leave her."

Jack nodded, "I don't want to lose you either. From what I can tell, the angels will break through the plane wherever you are at that time."

Troy clutched Gabriella that much harder, "When? How long do I have?"

Jack's head dropped, "Two days."

Troy growled, "WHAT?"

Jack's shoulders convulsed as his pain took over for a moment. "Two days."

Troy looked at his father. "How long have you known," he said in a voice that was entirely too calm.

Jack put his hands over his face, "Three months. I've been trying to find some way. I've been begging them to use me."

Troy frowned, "They said no."

Jack nodded, but didn't speak. Lucille was holding him as they both cried.

Jake was holding Sha'nia as tears slid down his face. Eduardo was nuzzling Gabriella's shoulder to comfort her.

Troy buried his face in Gabriella's hair. She had always been his safety net. She'd been his sanity to return to whenever life went all topsy-turvy. Now, he was scared and he knew the only way to keep her safe was to send her to the other side of the world from him. He had to get away from her to keep her safe. He hated that thought. He hated the eventuality he felt in the idea of leaving her here to cope with losing him all by herself. It broke his heart. The idea of her going on alone in life had him crying his eyes out against her skin. "I love you. I love you so much," he just kept saying.

Gabriella held him as tightly as she could. The next two days were going to be scary, but the months, maybe years after would be devastating. "I love you too. Always."

* * *

><p>Chad was furious, "NO! They can't do this!"<p>

Taylor watched him pace as she sat with her hand over her mouth. She was doing everything she could to keep from crying.

Zeke was holding Sharpay closely as she cried into his chest. He looked up at Troy and now he understood why they hadn't so much as let go of each other for a moment since they'd gotten here. "Are you sure, man? Isn't there some way around this? I mean if all of us fought together…could we protect you or something?"

Troy shook his head, "I don't know. I don't think so. Charlie hasn't exactly been forth coming with the damn details."

Gabriella laid her head onto his shoulder.

Troy nuzzled her briefly before looking back at Chad, "Dude, you have to accept this. I have."

Chad glared at him, "That just means you're still fucking nuts!" He growled and stomped out of the room.

Troy sat up, but Taylor waved him back. "I'll go, Troy."

Troy nodded and let Chad's mate go to calm him. He nuzzled Gabriella again. He kept trying to ignore the thoughts that as of tomorrow morning he'd never be able to do any of this again. He'd lose his love. He'd been trying desperately to keep from hating himself for wasting so much time earlier in the year. "I love you," he mumbled again.

She nodded against him. "I know, baby. I know."

Sharpay finally looked up at them. "Gabriella, you have to find some way around this. We haven't worked this hard all summer to get everyone where they fucking need to be to let this happen now! I refuse to allow this! He has to be back at Berkley in the fall! I demand it!"

Gabriella smiled at her former nemesis. "I can't outsmart angels, Shar. We'll get along."

Zeke shook his head, "No offense, Gabs, but we just barely got through the summer without Troy. There's no way we'll continue on without him."

Troy looked down at Gabriella, "Honey, what is she talking about? Just got everyone where? I thought they were staying here. I thought Chad and I were going to Berkley and you and Tay to Stanford."

Gabriella frowned and felt the tears return to her eyes. She couldn't take anymore disappointment. To be honest she'd forgotten about the arrangements they'd made to get everyone into schools and locations that would allow them to be more of a pack for Troy during their sophomore year in college. "I, uh," she felt the tears overwhelm her momentarily. "See we all decided that you needed more pack support. We, uh—" She let the tears pour again for a moment after her voice cracked. "Oh God…" She bawled against his chest.

Zeke looked up at Troy, "Dude, Shar and I are moving to San Franscico. She and Gabs found this great place for us in San Fran. Plus, Mr. Evans even bought this great place outside Berkley for us to meet up and do pack stuff."

Troy felt his heart drop. His friends, his pack had been arranging to save him from the loneliness he'd fought with so much the year before. They'd never really pulled away the way that he'd felt they had. He realized only now that they were circling him. They were preparing to protect him, not just coming to California to "watch him," but support him. They really were all in this together. He held her that much tighter and kissed her hair. "You were doing that for me?"

She nodded against his chest.

He cried a little harder into her hair. "Oh God, I love you so much."

Chad cleared his throat. "I refuse to let you go without a fight. Gabriella might be prepared to step back and let you handle the angels, but you've never been in a fight that I didn't have your back. I'm sure as hell not going to start now. We're in this together to the very end, dude."

Troy laughed, "The boys are back?"

Chad nodded, "Take it back to the place where it all began."

Troy looked at him as though a realization had just settled in his mind, "They're gonna come through wherever I am."

Chad nodded, "The boys are back to save the day. We know how to fight in our school, man. They're expecting to just get you."

Zeke was leaning forward with Sharpay wrapped around his upper arm now. "We're all in this together. Screw what they expect. I'm with Chad, if they want a fight, we're gonna give 'em hell."

The three boys exchanged glances. It was clear there were thoughts being sent through the air. Troy cryptically said, "The library."

Chad nodded, "But, what about the weight room, we could—"

Zeke shook his head, "I've got it…"

Both the other guys looked over at him, "Where?"

Zeke smiled maliciously, "The stage."

Troy laughed and Chad met his eye.

The three girls were now exchanging glances of their own. They were all completely confused. Then Sharpay screamed, "What?"


	24. Arrangements

Completing Someone – Chapter 23 – Arrangements

Troy looked at Jake, "So you really think you can get this done?"

Jake nodded, "Yeah. We can do this." He looked over at Jack again. "But, you're gonna have to get him together."

Troy glanced up to where Jake had been looking. "I've never seen him fall apart before. It's weird."

Jake put a hand on Troy's shoulder. "There's nothing in the world like losing the people you love. Losing a kid is probably the hardest thing anyone can live through."

Troy nodded, "I guess knowing that its coming is just another form of torture in this situation."

Jake nodded, "Help him find peace if you can."

Troy met Jake's eyes again, "I don't think I have that kind of time."

Jake smiled, "You'd be amazed how much a few little words can do, kid."

Troy threw Jake a smirk before standing up straighter to go talk to his dad. He sat down next to the old man. "Dad, you really need to dye your hair or something. You're seriously starting to look really old."

Jack looked down at his son, "Nonchalance? Really?"

Troy gave him a half-smile, "Worst case scenario, I go out fighting. Best case scenario…no one has to die tomorrow."

Jack frowned, "I've been over everything I know for months, Troy."

Troy nodded, "And yet, yesterday you sat on this very love seat and told Sha'nia that we let all our pack members contribute. You haven't done that on this situation yet, dad. Sometimes fresh eyes are exactly what you need."

Jack shook his head and looked to the ground. "You don't understand how hard this is on your mom and me."

Troy patted his dad's back, "Our pack doesn't give up without a fight. I'm not going to start now, alpha."

Jack looked up at his son. He couldn't actual remember another time when his son used his Were title. "No we don't."

Troy nodded, "Then let's give 'em hell."

Jack sighed.

Troy smiled, "No matter what, make sure mom knows how much I love her."

Jack nodded.

"You too old man."

Jack nodded and tried to hold back tears as he clasped Troy in a tight hug.

* * *

><p>Chad stood with Zeke, Sharpay, and Taylor. "Do you really think he'll be able to do it? Do you think Coach has it in him to even pretend to hand Troy over to the demons?"<p>

Chad looked up at Taylor and then glanced at Zeke. This was one of those times when he was deferring to the smoother guy in the room. Zeke sighed, "He'll have to."

Chad shook his head. He didn't like the idea at all. He hated it, in fact. He'd argued against it when the notion had been presented. Still here they were, creating a bait scenario wherein they could hopefully lure enough demons through to an ambush. Chad shook his head again.

Zeke shot Chad a look as if to say, "Knock it off."

* * *

><p>Jake walked into his room that he was now sharing with Sha'nia. She'd gone back to her apartment to get her essentials and to pack a med bag. Once the plan had begun to be hashed out, she quickly took on the role of pack healer. She'd started telling them how to arrange medical supplies so that she could get to pack members who needed her immediately. She now understood why the other people in the hospital hadn't truly been that surprised to see her and Chad transform when they'd all been attacked. Parts of the plan had described how they'd won this battle before.<p>

Jake was completely overwhelmed by the battle they were planning. He'd seen war before. He'd been privy to some truly terrible situations, but the things this pack had lived through and managed to prosper in spite of was astonishing to him.

Seeing Sha'nia getting absorbed into the pack atmosphere had been worth every worry he'd held. She gotten involved and he'd seen her small reactions to having her opinion respected. He had felt his heart beat pick up each time he'd looked across the room and connected with her eyes. She was smiling and working with the pack. He loved that.

Now, he dropped down onto the insanely comfortable guest bed to try and catch a bit of sleep before he got up to start the preparations. Just as his eyes were beginning to slip shut, he heard someone approaching the room. He listened as her footsteps entered the room and his nostrils filled with the scent of Nia. He smiled with his eyes still closed. "Hmm…hello sexy."

She chuckled, "Well hello back to you. I thought you were asleep. I was trying to be quiet."

He reached for her and pulled her down on top of him on the bed. "I wasn't quite asleep yet. Care to join me?"

She laughed, "That depends."

He tickled her, "On what?"

She laughed riotously. "Sex," she got out between breaths.

He stopped and looked directly into her eyes, "As in, can we?"

She looked up at him. "As in, if you truly want to be my mate, Jake, we need to actually mate, right?"

He looked deeply into her eyes. "Ni?"

She nodded, "I want to be with you."

He felt his heart fly. "Really?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm not going to say that I'm not scared, because I am. But, Jake, you're it. I know you are. I can feel it. When I went back to my place, it didn't feel right to be there. I knew it wasn't where I was supposed to be and all I could think was Jake has never seen this place before."

Jake smiled, "So, you're serious. You really want to mate with me, come back to California with me, and live in my pack?"

She bit her lower lip, "I'll put in a transfer when all of this is over. The same corporation owns hospitals in San Franscico and Oakland. They're maybe twenty minutes from campus."

He grinned, "Yes they are."

She nodded, "So, sex."

He nodded, "We have to exchange blood first."

She laughed, "Okay. Anything else I should know about?"

He shook his head. "Blood then sexual fluids and we're mated, baby."

She nodded matter-of-factly. She watched as he let his canines descend. Then he nibbled at her shoulder. She felt him shift over her as his eyes flared to an intense shade of green that was completely unnatural for humans. Then she watched him nick his own wrist and offer it to her. She smelled his blood and then locked her eyes to his. As she stretched out her tongue to taste his blood, she held his eye contact. There was this heaviness to the moment that one only senses when major life events are happening. She felt her stomach butterflies launch into a serious fluttering cloud inside her body. Then the blood touched her tongue and she was sent into a frenzy of need for the man next to her. "JAKE!"

He clutched her. He was half transformed now. He growled his response to her scream. It was as much a response to her as a warning to other males to stay away from his mate while she was in heat. He could smell the juices wetting her warm insides preparing her for him. He could feel the electricity between them in a way he'd never experienced with his previous mate. There had been a sensual, loving chemistry to them. Now, between himself and Sha'nia, he felt an overwhelming electricity that was undeniable. He could no more withdraw himself from her arms than stab himself in the heart. She was his lifeline. He could feel her every breath and heartbeat. He could smell her emotional state, that emotional panic that was excessive desire.

He caved in and pressed his lips to hers with urgency and need. He ran his hands over her body as though claiming every inch of it for himself. He pressed himself over top of her as he ripped at the clothing that he couldn't stand to leave between them. As skin began to touch skin in areas of their bodies that the average onlooker would not see, Jake grabbed her body and flipped them so that she was straddled on top of him. He grabbed her hips and thrust himself up into her. He felt her need. He knew she was ready for him.

She whined out a very animalistic moan. She felt the heat and the hurt. She'd never allowed a man and it had been so long since she'd had any encounter that before Jake had thrust himself inside, she'd essentially been a virgin. Now, the pain was intense, but she craved him so desperately that she worked herself over his member anyway. She wanted an orgasm in a way she'd never experienced when using just herself to manage her needs.

Even as Jake began to feel himself building that physical sensation, he knew deep down that he'd never be able to forgo the feeling of her satisfaction. He would wait until she was screaming over top of him. He would make his mate scream for him. She was claiming him and he her, but he was determined and obsessed with the idea of being her wolf. He wanted everyone to be fully aware that she was taken. She was his and his alone. He wanted the world to understand the physical bond between them. "Fuck, Ni…Yes!"

She rode his body as he bucked and flailed. She enjoyed every bucking of his hips. She wanted him moving more forcefully all the time. She wanted this kind of unrestrained passion. She'd never let herself consider that this might be enjoyable, but from the feelings of absolute passion and desire, she knew she would find unbelievable satisfaction in the sex they were having. "Yes! Jake! More!"

Jake thrust himself forcefully into her body. The sex was fucking incredible. He needed the release that was coming. They were nearly complete in the ritual. He needed only give her his seed. He wanted to fill her pussy with cum. He wanted to saturate her body with his seamen. The desire was overwhelming him. He didn't bother to ask anything before he'd started this. Now, all he wanted was for his mate to give herself to him. He needed her to, because he was giving himself completely over to her control. "I'm yours, Ni…I'm yours."

She felt her body roll over that crisp edge that told her this orgasm is going to be drastically intense. "Cum for me, Jake. Please, baby, I need it. Cum!"

Jake did as told. He grunted and groaned. He screamed and moaned his approval of her body. As she began to roll over and over and over in the waves of satisfaction, so did he.

As he rolled them to a lying position afterwards, he wrapped her into his arms. He pulled her back to his chest as he settled them as a single unit in the bed. "I love you, mate," his deep, rough voice spoke.

She smiled her satisfied look covering her face. "Em…I love you too, mate."

Jake growled, "You are mine, just as I am yours. We belong to each other."

She rubbed her head just below his chin in an affectionate way. Both were too spent to move much less get up. Sha'nia laid there in the arms of the man who had whittled away at her defenses and now meant more to her than the people she'd been living amongst for years. She felt her heart swell again at the thought that he might actually mean the words he'd been telling her.

The feelings of connection and love that had rolled through her while he'd been claiming her physically were only now just starting to unravel in her mind. The entire process had been so instinctual and intense. She scarcely had the energy left to think right now. Still, even as she felt her eyes drifting shut, she was already beginning to know that from now on, Jake would be where she called home. Wherever he was that was where she wanted to be as well.

As her body gave in to sleep, she softly heard him whisper, "I love you, Ni."


	25. Goodbyes

Completing Someone – Chapter 24 – Goodbyes

Troy groaned as his body woke to the sound of an alarm going off in the middle of the night. He felt her warm body lying there beneath his muscular arm. She was his reason for breathing. She was his anchor to this world. He'd give almost anything to keep her from harm. He pressed a soft kiss to her hair as she leaned back into the bed after turning off the alarm. "Come to me, mate," he said in his deep, rough alpha voice. He knew she loved that sound.

She leaned over him, her naked chest teasing his body to a more alert status. "Alpha…"

He slid his fingertips softly along her skin. "Do you remember how this all started, baby?"

She smiled, "Ms. Darbus. She had bored us both to tears and we ran into each other in her stupid doorway."

Troy laughed, "That afternoon by your car I thought I was going to lose my mind. The way you responded to me nuzzling you made me want to take you then and there. I thought you'd kill me for trying." He smiled up at her.

Their eyes stayed locked as they each remembered their first encounters. Finally, she felt his body turn slightly and his hands pull her to him. She laid her head on his chest and let her hands roam across his skin. He'd grown more body hair since they'd first laid down together. And now, Gabriella realized, he was more muscular and manly than the teenage boy she'd fallen in love with so long ago. "Troy?"

He kissed her hair as his fingertips gently caressed her forearm, "Yes?"

She sighed heavily, "I want you to know that I will always love you. I won't ever let another man…"

Troy kissed her head again and held her as she broke down into tears again. She had been trying not to say goodbye since his dad had told them a day and a half ago. He'd spent every second with her. They'd been touching nearly every moment. "Gabriella, I know you don't want to hear this, but honey, I don't want you to live like a hermit. I love you so very much. I want you to be happy, baby. Don't close in. Don't shut down after I'm gone." He pulled her up so that she would see the truth in his eyes. "I don't want to leave you. God, I never wanted us to be a part again, but baby, I want you to live your life. I want you to feel love again. If you find another mate and you love him—" he couldn't finish his sentence without the tears falling. "I'll never be upset with you. I'll be watching over you. I _love _you, my sweet kitten, my princess."

They were both crying now. Reality had set in. Plans were made. It was just a matter of time. No one really knew if the plans they'd made would make the slightest difference. All any of them knew was that they would not allow the angels to simply take their alpha from them without a fight.

Gabriella pulled up and placed her hands on either side of his face, "Swear to me that if you can get free, if you can find some kind of escape that you'll take it. I don't care what it costs, Troy." She stopped and sniffed to try and slow her running nose. "I don't care if it means that I die. Swear to me. Swear to me that you won't leave me. Swear to me that they'll have to take you against your will. Don't you dare sacrifice yourself. Swear you'll come home to me if you can." She was searching his eyes. Her tears were pouring down her face even as she said the words.

Troy felt the tears soaking his face. He couldn't speak. It hurt too much to say the words. So, he simply met her eyes and nodded as he pulled her against him as tightly as he could.

He held her so tightly. He moved so that he could more fully embrace the woman he loved. His words were failing him now, but his touch and their love would never fail him. He held her tightly for several moments before he moved over top of her and ran his hand over her tear strained face. He kissed her intensely. Then, just as they'd done so long ago, Troy made love to her with the same intensity as he had the night they had transitioned and mated. She may have never become his wife according to the world, but the pack knew that she was his lover. They knew that Troy and Gabriella had been mates from the beginning.

* * *

><p>Troy held her hand as they emerged from their room. He was dressed in his favorite jeans and a Wildcats basketball t-shirt with a Berkeley hoodie over that. He couldn't bring himself to let go of her hand. He couldn't be even stand to be any farther from her than the distance where he could feel her body heat.<p>

She was in his high school basketball jersey that had his name on the back, her jeans and his zipper hoodie (with "Big Bad Bolton" written on the back) from Berkeley over top. She needed his smell with her today. She needed to pretend that everything was going to be okay. She had to or she'd fall apart and try to get him to run away with her.

As they stepped down into the foyer together, Troy leaned over and kissed her again. "I love you, my princess."

She nodded and tried to hold in the tears. She knew he could see her response in her eyes. She felt her heart tearing as he kissed her again.

Finally they made their way into the very solemn living room. Waiting for them was their entire generation of the pack. They were all tired and emotional, but each and every member was there. Chad and Taylor, Zeke and Sharpay, Martha and Nate, Kelsi and Jason, and even Jake and Sha'nia, all stood watching them.

Troy felt the tears rising once more. He'd asked them all to meet him here just a little early. He looked over at Gabriella and then cleared his voice as he looked back at them. "I know that this past year has been hard on all of us. I'm so very sorry for that. I want you all to know that—" his voice cracked. He looked over at Gabriella. He searched her eyes for his strength.

When he regained his composure, he kissed her. Then he looked back at them. "I want you all to know that you are my family. I wouldn't be here now without you. And I can't thank you enough for helping me to fight yet again. I owe several of you apologies for so many things. I hope that you'll be willing to forgive me. And, I hope that you'll all," he met Chad's eyes and realized for the first time that his best friend was crying. "I hope you'll all help Gabriella. She's going to need each of you." He looked down at his mate, "Baby, I swear to you that I will always be looking out for you. I will always love you." He looked deeply into her eyes, "But you have to swear to me that you'll carry on. I want you to be happy, even if I don't come home from this."

She shook her head. Her tears were pouring at a rate that could flood Albert Hall. "You are coming home from this. You better be in bed with me tonight. You hear me. We're all fighting to bring you home. You swore to me that you would escape if you can. Don't you dare say goodbye to me. Don't you dare give up."

Chad sniffled and spoke up, "She's right, man. We're all fighting _for_ you, not _against_ you. You don't get to give up and say goodbye now. You have to fight, damn it!"

Jake chuckled through his own gently falling tears. "This is one helluva pack you've got here, Bolton."

Troy met Jake's eyes even as he held Gabriella's hands.

Jake smiled at him, "But, I'll be damned if I put all that fucking time into getting you back to that beautiful girl there, just to have you give up, you bastard. Get your head in the game, prick. We've got a battle to wage here."

Troy laughed through his tears. "Shut up, you old freak."

The group all laughed lightly through the multitude of sniffles and tear wiping.

After a moment or two of silence, Jason said, "So, who's riding with me to the high school?"

The guys all jumped him playfully and razzed him about it.


	26. Forever

Completing Someone – Chapter 25 – Forever

Chad pulled Taylor aside. "Promise me something?"

She looked up at him, "What?"

He searched her eyes for a moment before he could continue. "Promise me that you'll get free of the fighting just after the turning point. Promise me that you will grab Gabriella and Sharpay and haul them away from danger. If Troy or Zeke were to accidently see their mate—"

Taylor's tear-filled eyes searched his, "You want us to be safe. But, Chad, he's our friend too. We are Weres just the same as you and Zeke. Troy's an alpha. He's got a little on all of us, but Chad…Baby, I'm never going to leave you alone in a fight. You are my mate. I will stand with you until the end. There's no force in the world that would be able to take me from you except death."

Chad's eyes filled and spilled over the tears. "I will die before you. I refuse to allow you to be taken first."

Taylor smiled and laid her palm gently on his cheek. "I know, Chad. I promise you can go first, mate. I will be with you shortly thereafter."

Chad kissed her. "Okay." He held her tightly.

* * *

><p>Jason pulled Kelsi into the kitchen. "So, I know that you've decided to try mating with—"<p>

Kelsi pulled his lips down to hers. She kissed him intensely. When they had to pull back, they did.

Jason stared at her, "But…"

She shook her head, "He's not my mate. He was just a potential mate. We never completed the ritual and I knew after a few weeks that he couldn't ever love me the way you do."

Jason grinned, "Really?"

She smiled and nodded as she ran her fingers through his hair, "Really."

"YES!" He leaned down and proceeded to make out with her again.

* * *

><p>Martha smiled over at Nate as she stayed wrapped around his arm. Their intertwined hands left nothing to ambiguity. They were very together now. "He's learning from his father. I mean neither of us are Were, but we've decided that the Were in this town need a few humans to help them get along. And frankly, there's plenty we can do. So, we've decided to stay and hold down the fort."<p>

Gabriella smiled at Martha. She'd been so scared that Martha would be alone for a long time. She was happy for the couple. Nate seemed to be extraordinarily pleased to accept the affection that Martha showered on him. "That's amazing, Martha. I can't tell you how much that means to me. We need all the help we can get."

Martha smiled at Gabriella, "It's going to be okay, Gabs. We've fought before and won. You'll all come home this time. You'll see."

Gabriella gave her a sad smile, "I hope you're right, sweetie." She met Troy's eyes, then looked back at Martha. "I hope you're right." She excused herself and went to Troy.

As Gabriella moved across the room, Troy remembered the way he'd stalked her that day in the gym. He smiled as she reached up to kiss him. "Everything okay, princess."

She just looked at him. "I needed those lips for a moment."

Troy grinned in that way that a man who loves the woman teasing him will do. "Well then, I hope you need a little more." He leaned down and kissed her a little more passionately.

Suddenly the group was oooing and awing. Troy pulled up and glanced around to see everyone watching them. He laughed, "What? She's my mate. If we had a little more time, I'd make her my wife."

Gabriella blushed heavily in his arms and buried her face in his chest.

Everyone laughed.

Jake cleared his throat. "You know I am a member of a Shaolin Monastry. I'm a monk. And, by law, monks can perform marriage ceremonies."

Gabriella's eyes went to the size of saucers.

Troy smiled and looked down at his beloved. "Baby? What do you say?" He got down on one knee and pulled an old ring from his pocket, "Will you marry me?"

Gabriella's jaw dropped. The room went silent. No one breathed.

A moment passed, then two. Suddenly Troy was beginning to feel terror within. What if she didn't want to marry him? What if she said no? This suddenly seemed like a terrible idea.

Finally, Gabriella regained her breath, "Yes. Yes. Please. Oh God, Troy! Yes!"

Troy jumped up and let out the heaviest breath he'd ever felt. He grinned as he wrapped her into his arms and lifted her from the floor. "Oh thank God!"

She laughed and held on to him.

Twenty minutes later, Troy stood staring into her eyes as they stood there in front of Jake. His dad had come down and his mother too. They'd held each other and cried when they'd explained their morning to them. His dad and Chad and Zeke and Jason all stood there with him. Lucille, Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi each stood with her.

A large black furred Jaguar walked her into the room toward him. Now, in the middle of his parents' living room, Jake was marrying him to his beloved mate. Even if he did die today, he was now her husband and mate. He'd given her everything he could, except a family of their own.

She smiled as he repeated the words, "I do," at sunrise. She couldn't stop the fear in her body that she'd lose him today, but she also knew that for all the hardship they'd suffered, he was all hers. He was her husband now and forever. She repeated as Jake instructed her, "I do."

Jake smiled at them. He hadn't had the chance to do something this good in a long time. "I now pronounce you Were and Wife. You may kiss the bride."

Troy leaned down and planted the sweetest, most love filled kiss he possibly could to his wife's lips. When he pulled back just centimeters, he whispered, "I love you so much, Mrs. Bolton."

She smiled, "I love you too, my husband."

He grinned widely. "I have one more surprise for you."

She looked at him, "What else could you possibly have up your sleeve?"

Troy glanced at Jake. Jake produced a signed marriage certificate. All that was left to make their marriage legal was her signature on the line marked "Bride." Troy looked back at Gabriella, "You know those forms I asked you to sign the other day?"

She looked back at him, "You conned me into signing an application for a marriage certificate?"

Troy gently slid his hand down her shock covered face. "I knew something was coming, sweetheart. I had started to get that feeling that I get just before all hell breaks loose with the damn angels. That's why when dad told us, I wasn't all that shocked. Angry sure, but not really shocked." He pulled her closer, "I was too scared to ask you. So I came up with this. I figured if you said no, I'd just tear it up. It isn't legal until you sign it."

She kissed him, "Of course I'm going to sign it."

Troy smiled softly, "I love you so much."

"I'm all yours." She signed her name to the document and Jake grinned. "You two are officially hitched. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton."

Troy picked her up and spun her around.


	27. Entanglements

Completing Someone – Chapter 26 – Entanglements

He pulled her close again. It was all that he could do now. She was there with him. He knew that. He knew she would be until the moment he died. That thought tortured him somewhere deep down inside. But, for now, for right now, he was tied desperately to each and every sound that trickled through the sunshine filled school entryway.

They were coming. They would find him. The battle would be today. No one questioned anymore.

Troy sighed again. Her hair flew off to the sides of his rushed breath. He kissed the top of her head and kept is eyes open for the slightest change in their surroundings. Later, he would come to realize this moment had been nothing but a façade. Later, it would all seem so much different than it did right now. Right now, it felt benign and frustratingly normal.

Gabriella shifted against him. She had taken every moment to wrap her arms around him or touch him. She'd found herself feeling numb at this point. "Troy, what if they don't come?"

He shook his head, "They're already here. We just haven't seen them yet."

She shook her head as she leaned back to look up into his eyes. "Troy, it's mid-day."

He leaned his head down so that their foreheads connected, "My beautiful wife, are you bored waiting my death?"

She stared at him. "How dare you say that! You—"

Troy smiled, "I know you don't want me to die, baby."

She smiled up at him and pecked his lips quickly.

A moment later, they were sitting on the bench playing paper, rock, scissors. Every time he won, he got a kiss. Every time she won, she got to be held for two minutes. The day seemed to be dragging on and Troy was beginning to wonder if they'd misjudged everything so drastically.

Another hour passed by and the sun was beginning to fall from its peak in the sky. Suddenly and without warning, Troy found himself standing is a stark white room. There was a solid white table in the center surrounded by eight white chairs. The walls were white and the picture frame was white. The picture inside it was Jesus, the only color in the room.

Troy sat very still as he took in his new environment. He waited without a single movement.

An angel entered the room as they always did, gracefully. This one knew what Troy was expecting. He knew the young wolf had expected a bloody battle scene and lives changed or extinguished. When he came face-to-face with the young alpha, he simply smiled, "My name is Gabriel. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

Troy furrowed his brow. "The only angel we know is Charlie."

The immensely old angel merely gazed at the young man. "That's not really his name, but I know of whom you speak. Tell me, do you wish to know of your pack before we continue here?"

Troy looked at him apprehensively. "What have you done to them?"

Gabriel waved an arm and showed the scene currently unfolding in the school.

Gabriella was hunched over on the step where they'd been sitting only minutes ago. Taylor was rubbing her back and holding her as she bawled horrible tears.

Troy reached an arm out toward the scene wanted to touch her, but the view dissipated too quickly. He was left reach for thin air. "The only way you'll ever get me to do what you want is to heal her heart. I love her. I need her to be—"

Gabriel shook his head, "This isn't your decision. These proceedings were decided by those much more powerful than you."

Troy glared at him, "By who? You?"

Gabriel graced the boy with no more than a half smile, "Well, I do announce when God will be waging war against evil spirits, do I not?"

Troy glared harder, "But, you don't make that decision, because that is God's decision, right?"

Gabriel sighed, "He's been a bit…preoccupied recently."

Troy looked at the angel, "But, it's still his bidding that you're doing? Because if you are taking my life and hurting the woman I love for some—"

Gabriel looked at him harshly. "I see why no one but Charlie can withstand the arrogance of you young creatures." With those words, Gabriel was gone.

Moments later, Charlie entered the room. "Hello, Troy."

Troy swung and landed a solid punch against Charlie's jaw. The angel was unfazed, but Troy's hand was killing him.

Charlie nodded once, "I see you're upset."

Troy looked back up at the angel. "You took me from my wife on our wedding day. You could say that I'm upset, yeah."

Charlie merely looked at the young man, "It did not have to be your wedding day, Troy. You could have arranged—"

Troy glared harder as he screamed at the angelic features before him, "SCREW YOU!"

Charlie shook his head. With a snap of his fingers, the plans laid out on the table. For the next several moments, Charlie laid the plan out for Troy. He explained what his sacrifice would mean and how it would make the difference in the world as he knew it. Finally, he looked over at Troy. "You should know that you're life force will be the key to ending this horrible fighting."

Troy shook his head. "Take me back. I want no part of this!"

Charlie sighed. He couldn't get Troy to see reason. Finally he decided it might be easier if he did return them to the school and had the boy's father explain the situation to him as well. So Charlie snapped and they were there.

Troy rushed to Gabriella. He held her in his arms. He felt her relief wash over him and through him. "It's alright. I'm here. I'm here, baby."

Several hours later, Charlie was still arguing with the young wolf, "You do not have a choice in this matter, Troy."

"I DON'T WANT TO BE THE KEY!" Troy screamed at the top of his lungs.

Gabriella stopped short three yards away.

The angel looked down at Troy. "It's not your choice. Some things happen in life that you don't control."

Troy's glare should have burnt a hole through the angelic being. "You think I don't know that?"

Charlie softened his gaze. He sometimes forgot how much of an impact his angelic expressions had on humans, even the Weres. "Troy, do you know what the difference is between humans and angels? Do you know what the beauty of humanity is?"

Troy didn't answer, but he didn't move either.

Charlie landed in front of the young alpha. "You have the ability to give compassion, to _feel_ compassion. In angelic terms everything is white or black, good or evil, angel or demon. You are the only beings on Earth in any plane capable of compassion. You may know beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone is guilty of a crime, but you have the ability to bestow compassion even to the worst beings alive. That is the beauty of humankind. Don't let your pain take from you the truest expression of unconditional love. I said this two years ago and I will say it again. _When the healing affects of love are lost, so too are many of the other courses of nature; for angels that means the loss of beauty. _For humans, it is the loss of forgiveness and compassion."

Troy shook his head, "I don't want any part of your damned war."

Charlie met the young male's gaze. "Some wisdom is only ever learned through the truest of pain. Look around you, Troy, your mate, your pack, your family and friends have bestowed on you compassion and love over the past year. Don't give up on love, Troy."

Troy turned and walked toward the entrance of the building. He stopped for only a second to meet the gaze of his mate. Ultimately, her piercing gaze hurt too much. He couldn't look at her when he felt like this. He walked out even as she reached for him.

"Don't go," she whispered.

Troy made it to the edge of the concrete before Jake yelled at him.

"What do you hear now, Troy?"

Troy turned and glared at him, "This is beyond your little therapy tricks, Jake. Leave me alone!" He transformed and began to run off into the woods to the mountains in the distance.

Gabriella crumbled in the arms of her best friend and Troy's mom. Jake hit a brick wall sending dust everywhere. Jack dropped onto the bench behind him. He'd thought his son was back to being the man he'd been before he left. Now, with tears in his eyes, he realized that his return had been too fragile to bear this burden. He felt his heart break as his only child soared off to solitude.

* * *

><p>Troy stood at the top of the hill and looked down on Gabriella in the stands cheering on their friends as the guys played in a three-on-three tournament. She looked beautiful in the rays of the setting sun.<p>

It had been nine days since he'd left. Nine days of running as a lone wolf. It had taken him three days to simply stop running. It had taken him another three to deal with the pain enough to transform back into his human skin.

It would have taken him three to run back, but it seemed that Eduardo had followed him. So, Ed had sat quietly out of sight until Troy had calmed down. Then being an alpha himself, he walked directly up to Troy. He turned and waited for Troy to follow him. He looked back once in a while to check on the kid. When they reached their destination, Ed went into a cabin. When he came out he was fully dressed and holding an arm full of clothes. "Dress. We'll drive back tonight."

Troy had nodded wordlessly.

Ed went back in and gave the kid some peace and quiet. He knew the cabin's owner. He'd send the guy some money next week and return the truck. It was yet another pack he'd stayed with and garnered some good will.

Troy sat on the wooden steps with his arms wrapped around his stomach. He ached inside. It wasn't sadness exactly. It wasn't really guilt either. It was some kind of swirling combination of every depressed feeling he'd ever encountered. When the older alpha walked out and sat next to him, Troy just barely glanced in his direction.

Ed spoke softly, "My first instinct is to run." Several moments passed before Ed said anything else. "I don't know what you're going through, son, but I know that you are strong enough and loving enough to find it within you to carry this heavy load."

Troy sighed and met his gaze. He knew that his eyes held nothing but sorrow for the old man to see, but somehow admitting his weakness to this specific alpha didn't make him feel like he was letting anyone down. "I don't think I can. Why can't they just let me be? Why is that so much to ask?"

Ed sighed heavily, "If I knew that, Troy, then I'd know some way to spare you the pain of having to deal with this. I'm not God, son. I wish I knew the answer, but I don't."

Troy looked at Ed for a moment as his mind slowly settled on something.

Ed watched the clouds begin to blow away from the young man's eyes. "What?"

Troy looked at the woods. "It's okay to _not_ know, isn't it?"

Ed raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Troy looked back at him, "I've always assumed that you and dad and the angels knew what the right answer was. You were the ones making the decisions, so I assumed you knew. But, sometimes you don't know what's going to happen and that's okay."

Ed patted the young man on the back and got up to head to the truck. He stopped and turned back to Troy, "You're gonna be just fine, son. Get your ass in the truck."

Troy cracked a smile. The soft little smirk on his face was the first sign of life he'd felt in a week. He got up and got into the passenger's side. "Whatever, I'm driving."

Now Troy looked down at his mate. He'd done it again. He'd gotten scared and run away from her after he'd promised that he wouldn't. He didn't know if she had it in her to forgive him again. He just kept sending silent heartfelt prayers to heaven that she'd be able to show him compassion. Then suddenly she was looking back at him.

Troy stood silent and unmoving for a moment as their gaze stretched the long distance between the stands and the hill top. Then, he used the only language that could reach that distance. He held up his hand with three fingers extended in sign language meaning, "I love you." He watched her with fear and hope battling in his chest.

When she got up and began running toward him, he felt his heart leap. The angel was right about one thing…humans had the unique capacity to forgive and feel compassion, true unconditional love.

She tentatively leaned forward as if asking for permission to kiss him. But, before she could ease into a sweet, soft kiss, her lips were overwhelmed by his. She giggled as he pulled away for air. "Okay…"

He kissed her again. Then, he smiled down at her as he stroked the hair nearest to her face. "I am very glad to see you again. I never feel complete when we're a part." He grinned as he felt her wedding band brush the back of his neck.

"That's because you aren't," she leaned up and kissed his lips again.

* * *

><p>Troy tried to stretch as he heard the unfamiliar rhythmic beeping in the background. He slowly began to open his eyes and found himself in a hospital bed. He began to panic. He tried to lash around, but he couldn't. Wires were everywhere and his mouth was dry and painful. He couldn't figure out what was going on.<p>

The doctor and nurses finally got him settled down. One nurse began feeding him ice to ease his throat and mouth. Twenty minutes later, his parents came rushing into the sterile room. Troy kept looking at the door expecting Gabriella to come rushing in immediately after them, but she never came.

As his mother gushed over him and his dad cried at his bedside, Troy looked around still very puzzled. The battle hadn't turned out to be this kind of battle. The last thing he remembered was holding onto Gabi as she'd forgiven him for running away. Troy turned to his dad when his mom finally went to get them some drinks. "I need Gabriella. Where is my wife, dad? I need her," Troy knew the pain was there in his voice. He'd tried not to sound desperate, but he knew that he did.

Jack's brow furrowed, "What?"

Lucille stood stock still just inside her son's door. "Did he just say, 'his wife?'"

Jack looked over at her very confused. "I…"

Troy felt his heart rate beginning to race. He was starting to panic. "Gabriella! Gabriella!"

The nurse returned and sedated Troy again. She nodded as his eyes slipped closed and he laid back against his pillow as sleep over took him.

"I love you, Gabi…"


	28. Huh?

Completing Someone – Chapter 27 – Huh?

Jack sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair. He had one arm propped up on the back of the chair with that hand continually ruffling back through his deep brown hair. He was confused and lost. Troy had obviously believed whatever had been happening within his head was real, but the doctors had said that when a coma you were not dreaming. It was not a traditional stage of sleep such as REM which is when you sleep.

Ultimately, Dr. Green had told Jack and Lucille that it was possible that people were dreaming, or even hearing/feeling those in reality who were trying to communicate with them. "Really," he'd told them, "we don't have any idea what happens in a coma. We can tell you how deep it is and we can tell you that their body and brain are functioning normally. We really don't know much about comas. I'm sorry."

Jack was at a loss for what to do to help his son. Sure, he and Lucille had tried to talk to Troy. After the first four weeks, they'd each been forced to return to work. So, they'd spent a little less time at his bedside, but they'd come every single day before the end of visiting hours. It had been six months since his son had lost control of that old, beat-up truck and been found in the ravine. Jack had never stopped blaming himself for giving Troy the stupid, unsafe, seat beltless vehicle in the first place.

Now, he and Lucille had worked out a schedule so that one of them were there every minute the hospital would allow. They'd waited for Troy to wake up again. He hadn't. The doctor had told them that his mind may simply have not been able to cope with the reality he'd woken to and was attempting to reconcile it to the world he'd built up in his mind. The doctor also told them that he really couldn't say for certain why Troy was still seemingly asleep.

Jack rubbed his hand over his face and tried to clear the tear stains from his face. Two more weeks of worrying endlessly over his one and only child had passed. Every time he thought this nightmare might be over, something else happened. Troy had been cascading off track before the accident. Then the call from the state police had told them that his life might end. Jack heard the words in his mind all over again. _Sir, I'm afraid that we have found your son. He is on his way to UNM hospital. He wasn't conscious when we loaded him up._

Jack felt the tears slip over his cheeks again. His son, his only son, was still lying in a hospital bed six months later.

"Gabi?" Troy's broken voice struggled to whisper.

Jack felt his heart jump and fall all over again. He moved so quickly to Troy's side and took his hand, "Troy, it's dad."

Troy glanced over at him from behind partially closed eyes. "Dad?"

"Yeah, do you know me?"

Troy glanced at his father between the bouncing of his eyelids. "Yeah, dad. Why?"

Jack sighed heavily, "Do you remember waking up once before?"

Troy shook his head from side to side in a very weak manner.

Jack clinched his jaw so as not to show his fears. "You did. You were asking for Gabriella. You said she was your wife."

Troy raised an eyebrow. "She is. Remember. Living room." He was obviously struggling to get even that much out.

Jack felt the tears crest his bottom lashes. "Troy, how old are you?"

Troy sighed, "Just turned 20." Troy's eyes were getting heavier.

"Son, you're only 18. There's no way I'd let you get married to Gabriella at such a young age."

Troy grimaced, "Mate, my mate."

Jack looked confused at the term. He had no idea what his son was trying to say. "No, Troy she isn't your mate."

Troy growled in a very quiet way. "Mine, my mate."

Jack watched as his son closed his eyes. Suddenly Jack once again felt powerless to help his son. He was confused and scared. Two things he could not stand when it came to the safety and welfare of his son.

* * *

><p>Lucille sat watching over her boy. Jack had told her when she arrived what Troy had said when he'd woken earlier. She was perplexed. She had already tried to figure out why Troy had grasped so tightly to the new girl in his senior year of high school. Yet, now as she heard Jack's comments run through her mind again, she wondered what had transpired in her son's mind. Obviously he loved this young woman. She'd only met Gabriella a few times before the accident.<p>

"Dad?" Troy's cracked voice spoke into the darkness.

Lucille leaned forward and took her son's hand again. "It's mom, Troy. I'm right here."

"Mommy…" Troy tried to roll toward her.

Lucille felt her heart shred as Troy sounded more like his eight year old self than the nearly a man that laid in the bed before her. "Mommy's here, sweetheart. Mommy's right here."

Troy whimpered a few times. Finally he took a breath and tried to sit up. "How do—"

Lucille pushed the small button to lean the head of the bed to a higher position. "Better?"

Troy nodded drowsily, "Thanks."

Lucille smiled softly at him. "How are you feeling? Are you hungry or in any pain?"

Troy looked around. "I don't know."

Lucille nodded, "If you begin to feel either, just let me know. We can get you some light foods or medicine if anything still hurts."

Troy furrowed his brow and looked at her. "Still hurts?"

Lucille felt her hand rush to her lips. She hadn't meant to push too much on him at once. The doctor had told them during their talk that they really had no way to tell them how much Troy would remember immediately or at all. He'd said that pushing his mind might be a very bad thing at first and that they should simply allow him to figure things out as he was ready.

Troy looked at his mother, "Mom?"

She frowned, "There was an accident, Troy. Your truck went off the side of the road."

Troy just looked at her. "When?"

She glanced upward as she tried desperately not to cry. However, none of her efforts controlled the pain in her voice as she said, "Six months ago."

Troy's jaw dropped open.

She stroked his hair and then his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Troy. We weren't supposed to push this all on you. I slipped."

Troy looked over at her, "I don't remember any kind of crash." He took another sip of his water that Lucille had just handed him. "The last thing I remember is holding Gabriella at the park."

Lucille looked over at him. "Troy?"

"Yeah."

She searched for the words to ask, but feared what a bad choice of words would do to the precarious mental state her son seemed to be functioning with, "You and Gabriella…when did you start dating?"

Troy sighed, "Can we not talk about this here?"

Lucille furrowed her brow. "Sure."

"When can I see her? Why hasn't she been here?"

Lucille bit her lip. "Troy…oh my God…son, you and Gabriella…" she breathed out a slow breath, "you never dated in reality. She was just a new girl that you were infatuated with before the accident. Your father had approached her about tutoring you in math, but that's all."

Troy closed his eyes and dropped his head back. He let it roll from side to side. None of this made any sense. His parents had been there that morning before the angels were set to take him. He just wanted her to come and explain to him what was going on. "Can you just call her, please?"

Lucille frowned, "I don't have a number for her, Troy, but I'll see if dad can get one from the school."

Troy groaned. This was all so wrong. Nothing about his mom's words felt right. He knew he and Gabriella were a mated pair and husband and wife. She was his and he was hers. They'd made it official and legal in every way over the last couple of years. And why was his dad saying he was 18 instead of 20. "I need her, mom."

Lucille took her cell phone and stepped out of the hospital. She tentatively dialed Maria's number. "Maria, it's Lucille. I really need you to call me back. I understand that you're still angry about what happened, but Troy is waking up and he's saying some things. Please, just call me back." She hung up the phone and sat down on the bench outside the hospital. She wasn't sure if Maria would call back. She'd been furious when the accident happened. Gabriella had been in such a state of shock when she'd wandered home that she hadn't been able to tell anyone where Troy was. Then Lucille had come unglued on the poor girl and Maria had screamed back at her. The next thing anyone knew, Maria and Gabriella's house was empty and Gabriella was enrolled at Stanford, never to return to Albuquerque.

Still, Lucille was hopeful that with the change in Troy's condition that one mother might be able to ask for a modicum of help from another.

* * *

><p>Gabriella wandered into the hospital room as quiet as a mouse. She'd been dreaming about him non-stop, some nightmares, some lovely. All she'd known for sure was that when she saw his mother's face pop up on the cell phone her mother had given her before leaving her on campus was that she had to see him at least one more time. So, she'd come back to Albuquerque only to discover he'd never woken up from his coma. So, here she was softly creeping into a room at the local hospital in the middle of the night with tears in her eyes and pain in her chest for a boy she barely knew in reality, but that she had lived a life with in her dreams.<p>

As Troy lie there asleep, Gabriella walked to the side of the bed. She couldn't get over how peaceful he looked. She took his hand and traced her fingers over his. She knew these hands so intimately, but realized now that her mind had begun to cross her dreams with the less appealing reality. She whimpered softly, "Oh God, Troy, I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry. If I could have remembered sooner…I am so sorry. I know you can't hear me and I know you wouldn't understand even if you could, but the dreams I've been having, Troy, they're amazing. I see you every night. You—it's silly, but in my dreams we're so much more than we ever really were. I've fallen in love with you." She let her tears overwhelm her for a moment. Then, just as she was about to tell him goodbye, she heard his rough voice say something.

Startled, she looked up to his eyes quickly. "Oh my God!"

Troy smiled, "No, but you can call me anything you want. I've missed you so much, Gabi. Where have you been? They've been telling me we aren't—that we were never together. Baby, why are they saying that? We're married. Why do they keep telling me I'm 18 and that we don't really know each other?"

Gabriella covered her mouth with her hand reflexively. "Troy…" She let out a sob and found herself diving into his arms. "Oh my God, Troy…"

Troy wrapped his arms around her as best he could with the many tubes and wires attached to him. "Baby, I'm right here. I'm right here."

Gabriella sobbed into his hospital gown covered body. She had no words to explain the emotions she was feeling. There were no modern American concepts that would rationally explain the connection she felt to the guy holding her in this hospital bed. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that her lover had been returned to her. "Troy…" She leaned up and looked into his eyes, "I don't know what I'd do without you. I came to try and say goodbye, but I knew I couldn't really do it. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about all of this. And the way my mom spirited us away in the middle of the night. Oh God, Troy, it's all just gotten so out of hand." She stopped when she realized he was looking back at her quizzically. "Tell me what you remember."

Troy glanced away for a moment. "I'm not sure what I remember. I mean I know what I think happened, but…but, everyone keeps telling me I'm wrong."

Gabriella nodded quietly.

Troy pulled her back to his chest and sighed, "Let me tell you a story and you tell me what I know and what is false."

Gabriella nodded against his chest and felt as though she'd been pulled into one of her dreams as the voice she'd come to love spoke softly to her.

"Once upon a time, there was a group of Werewolves who lived in Albuquerque. Their leader had a son and named him Troy. Troy became the leader of their generation of wolves. Troy met Gabriella and instantly fell in love with her. They mated and became the first of their generation to transition into their Were forms." He stopped and waited for her assessment.

Gabriella snuggled against his chest. "Troy, those are the dreams I've been having ever since the wreck. How did you know what my dreams are?"

Troy pulled his arm up and put it behind his head as he used his other to stroke her hair, "Because that's the life I've been leading for the last 2 ½ years, baby. As far as I know, we're mated, married Weres. The last thing I remember before waking up this morning is holding my wife tightly while sitting in the park. You, being my wife."

Gabriella smiled, "Hmmm…I love that thought."

Troy smiled and looked down at her dark hair. This was the first time in days that he'd felt anything akin to happiness. She was finally here. He'd started to acclimate to the things his parents and others would tell him, but he didn't want to. He had screamed at his parents and his doctors that they were wrong. He'd tried to break out of the hospital on several occasions because he'd been struck so deeply to find his mate. He'd even secretly been trying to access his Were. Finally after weeks of rehab, and consistent stories from his parents (and a threat of locking him in the psych ward), Troy had begun to verbally accept that it had all been a dream. "I love you, Gabi. I love you so much."


	29. Learning

Completing Someone – Chapter 28 – Learning

Troy woke to the feeling of an itch. He raised a hand to scratch his nose and found himself being stared at by a younger man in a lab coat. Troy assumed this guy was his doctor.

Finally, the guy spoke. In a very familiar voice he said, "Well Mr. Bolton, what do you hear now? Hmm?"

Troy knew that voice anywhere. That was Jake. He was sure of it, but the man standing before him was clearly not Jake. "I'm sorry?"

Jake smiled, "I've been asking you that question for four months now. I've been hoping to find out what it is that coma patients can hear while they're in a coma."

Troy nodded, "Great."

"I guess I should introduce myself. I seem to know you, but you've never met me."

Troy mumbled to himself, "I don't know that I'd put it that way."

The doctor smiled, "My name is Jacob. I'm a psychologist and an M.D., but don't hold it against me."

Troy nodded, "Great. Thanks for coming by, doc. I feel fine."

Jake smiled, "Good, but that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?"

Jake's grin lit up the room, "To see what you hear."

Troy rolled his eyes, "Look I've been poked and prodded, cut off from the life I thought I was leading, and now you're here to tell me that along with all the fantastic fun I've been having, you are experimenting on me?! Screw you and the horse you rode in on asshole! I'm not anyone's little puppet. I'm a grown man who's pissed off! Leave me the fuck alone!"

Jake smirked. His eyes lit up in a confident fashion. His expression made it appear as if he knew something Troy didn't. In reality, Jake was simply waiting for Troy's next reaction.

"Look if you leave me alone I'll chill out, okay?"

"Oh how quickly they move on to bargaining. So, now that I know you're progressing through the stages of grief, perhaps you can tell me why it is that you believe you can transform into a Werewolf?"

Troy screamed. He had never missed his growl quite the way he was missing it now. If he could just go back into the coma and live out the rest of his life in that dream world, he'd be happy to. This was not his life. He groaned as the doctor continued to stand there and sound like someone he knew so well and yet had never really met. "I don't actually believe I can transform into a Werewolf. This isn't 1986 and I'm not Michael J. Fox."

Jake laughed. It was by far the funniest response he'd gotten in a long time from one of his coma victims. So often they were so traumatized they never woke up or when they did they were just so serious. "Well, it's nice to know you aren't sitting there daydreaming about ripping my throat out."

Troy smirked and rolled his eyes, "Ripping your throat out would be too quick. You bastards have been poking me and screwing with my head since I reluctantly woke up for a perfectly good life that I was enjoying."

Jake nodded, "Really? That's very interesting, Mr. Bolton. If I recall correctly, you said you had just married your mate and were set to die by the hands of angels for the sake of saving all mankind from a war between angels and demons that God refused to intervene in to save humanity himself."

Troy looked out the window. "When you say it, it sounds like an episode of Supernatural."

Jake nodded, "That's because when I say it, Mr. Bolton, there's no feelings connected to it. Just facts."

Troy glared over at the doc, "Facts can be proven. You don't even believe me much less have the ability to prove any of that. I could be screwing with your head for all you know."

Jake nodded quietly, almost resolutely. "That's true, Mr. Bolton, you could be. But, I doubt it. You forget. I was there." He turned and left the room as quietly as a mouse.

It was several moments later that the doctor's words sunk into Troy's conscious mind. You forget. I was there. The words echoed through his thoughts. It took several iterations of the words before his mind caught on. How could that doc say he was there? Troy sat up. He'd been forced to stay there within the hospital. He hadn't so much as gone outside with him mom for a walk. There were drugs constantly being pumped into him. Gabriella was dreaming the same things he'd lived in his coma. And now, "Jake" was telling him he was there and recounting—that was when Jake's words from earlier in the conversation came back to him. The doc knew way more about his life in the coma than he'd ever said aloud. Sure he'd thought about the impending doom and the anguish he'd felt about leaving Gabriella, but he hadn't spoken about it in detail.

Troy got up from his bed. He was still weak. He realized there was no reason why he should still be weak. Except that I've been trapped in a hospital bed for six months. He picked up the metal visitor's chair from the side of the bed. He looked closely at the window in his room. Then with all the anger he could summon, he swung the chair through the window.

The sight was appalling. It was a dingy, dirty alleyway. In fact, it looked quite a bit like some of them he'd seen on cop shows where they show the bloody, messy crime scene before they go off and arrest the bad guys. Troy heard the sounds of traffic flowing. He laughed to himself when no one came running. He heard Jake's voice all over again, "What do you hear, Troy?"

Troy shook his head and started figuring out how to unhook himself from the wires and the machines. It wasn't until his heart monitor, which he'd saved for last, flat lined that he even heard someone come running.

As Troy leapt from the window, he looked around himself. It was a nasty alleyway. There were the tell-tale dumpsters and trash strewn about everywhere. He took in a breath and started toward a pair of jeans he saw lying in a corner. He laughed when they fit. He found a decent shirt sitting beneath them. He spotted a pair of shoes at the entrance to the alley and put those on as well. He wasn't even remotely surprised when everything else fit perfectly too.


	30. Finding  the End

Completing Someone – Chapter 29 – Finding

Troy wandered around the empty city for a little while. There were a few people going from place to place, but none of them seemed to be doing so without considerable fear etched on their faces. It was readily apparent that wherever Troy had found himself, it wasn't home and it wasn't pretty. Finally, he stepped into a bookstore. He stood to the side and thought about how much Gabriella loved books. She had devoured every book he'd ever read and then some. He smiled at the spines of the old worn books in this used bookstore.

After meandering through the aisles awhile an older gentleman spoke to him through the shelves. "What exactly are you looking for, son?"

Troy sighed heavily, "Sanity, or maybe just a moment passed too soon."

There was a chuckle on the other side of the wall of books. Then an older version of Gabriella's father stepped around the end cap. "Well, at least you're honest with yourself. How are you doing, Troy?"

Troy narrowed his eyes at him, "You know me?"

Eduardo smiled and nodded silently.

Troy felt his heart begin to race, "Ed, what year is it?"

Ed smiled wider, "Why do you ask?"

Troy looked at him, "Because you shouldn't be nearly this old. What year is it, Ed?"

The older latino smiled, "It's 2022, son."

Troy's jaw dropped, "WHAT!?"

He nodded and motioned for Troy to follow him. He led the younger man to a calendar hanging on the wall. It was really a small portion of a wall sized computer monitor.

Troy frowned, "I knew something was off, but I couldn't…oh God, Gabi? Ed, where is my wife?"

Ed shook his head, "She never became your wife, Troy. After you disappeared from the hospital and she lost you a second time she ran away and never returned to Albuquerque."

Troy felt his stomach turning. This couldn't be happening. All he'd done was jump out of his window! This was insane. First, he'd woken up from some kind of coma and now…it couldn't be—it-, "CHARLIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH GET YOUR WINGED ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Troy was furious. He literally slammed his fist through the counter in front of him. "CHARLIE!"

"My dear wolf, you must calm yourself before you wake the neighbors." There in the middle of the white room stood Charlie and Troy.

Troy glared at the angel. "You did this! All of this! Didn't you?!"

Charlie let out a slow, steady breath. Finally after several slow moving moments, he simply said, "Yes."

Troy screamed loudly. "What the hell were you doing?! WHY!?"

Charlie watched the young wolf as he fought for control of his own mind. "They thought if you woke up in some other life, you might be consolable. As it was, you were not."

Troy stared at the angel as a maniacal sound bounced off the walls around him which he finally realized was his own voice. "You thought that twisting my reality into some kind of dream like state would sedate me?"

Charlie shook his head no, quietly.

Troy let out another exasperated sigh. He walked around the room and looked at anything except the angel. Finally, in a nearly child-like voice he said, "What's real, Charlie? Which life was real?"

Charlie was suddenly right behind Troy. "Do you remember what I said to you long ago?"

Troy nodded, "_When the healing effects of love are lost, so too are many of the other courses of nature; for angels that means the loss of beauty._"

Charlie placed his hand on his shoulder, "For angels and humans alike, the loss of love and the effects love has on its beholder can mean the loss of sanity. Many of the angels remaining have lost sight of what is right and what is wrong. God has refused to help. In the angels eyes that is the loss of love, because to them God is love. For you, Gabriella is love. Without her, not only were you being tortured mentally, but you couldn't see through to the reality of anything because you couldn't heal. The truth, my dear wolf, is that which you feel so deeply you will fight for it even beyond reason. You tell me, my dear wolf, which life was real?"

Troy looked up at the wall in front of him and found a mirror that hadn't been there before. "My life with Gabriella. My life as a wolf. Take me back, Charlie. End this madness. Let me go."

Charlie stared into the young wolf's eyes through the mirror, "So be it."

* * *

><p>Troy woke up and looked around him. Gabriella was asleep next to him in his bed at his parent's home. She was warm and smiling in her sleep. He could see her bare back as he glanced over her to be sure she was okay.<p>

Immediately he turned and grabbed his phone from the night stand. "When, where…when, where…" He flipped to the calendar function and found that it was the day he'd been scheduled to die. He smiled. He could work with this.

He ran his hand over Gabriella's hair and kissed her softly until she woke to his kisses. She giggled beneath his loving caresses. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Troy grinned, "Kissing my beautiful wi-girlfriend-mate. Kissing my beautiful mate."

Gabriella looked at him quizzically, "Did you just call me your wife?"

Troy shook his head, "Don't know what you're talking about." He chuckled as she attacked him with a pillow. They had a short tickle/pillow fight before settling into each other's arms.

Gabriella sighed contentedly, "Troy, what happened? Something big was supposed to happen today. Do you remember what it was?"

Troy smiled to himself and shook his head. "No, honey, I really don't know. Probably for the best, though. If it were important you know they'd let us know."

Gabriella nodded her head against his chest. "Let's get some breakfast."

Troy smiled at her. His expression made it apparent that he knew he'd been given a second chance at his happy life. He watched Gabriella get ready to go downstairs. Just after she smiled at him as she headed out the door, Troy turned to the window. "I won't blow this chance, Charlie. Thank you."

There was a flicker in the leaves of the tree that stood in his backyard and had housed his childhood tree house. It seemed to say, "I know."

Troy nodded to the sky, directing his words toward God, "You should really give the good guys a hand. They need you as much as we do these days." Then to his astonishment, Troy saw a shooting star cut through the morning sky. As it hit the atmosphere and lit up the sky, Troy could have sworn he saw a brief glimpse of angels and demons standing in awe of something. But, it was a glimpse and the image faded immediately. Still, Troy had seen it. He wondered to himself for a moment if his days as demon bait were over. Then he heard Gabriella calling him from downstairs and he decided that he didn't care. He knew how to enjoy the happy moments he had now.

Troy Bolton turned and walked downstairs to the arms of the most beautiful, brilliant woman in the world. He kissed her passionately and walked with her into the kitchen where the vast majority of his pack were laughing and joking over his mother's waffles.

The End

Care for some more wolf stories?


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